inois. Robinson was
with the cavalry train, which was rather closely following the
march of its division, in order to clear the head of the infantry
without starving the cavalry.

Neither side could move forward without bringing on a battle. But
Lee, instead of being able and ready to disengage his cavalry
advance-guard and to fall back to a chosen field, was now anchored
to the ground where he found himself, not alone by the concentration
of the main body of the cavalry at the very front, but also and
even more firmly by the presence of the infantry with its artillery
and their employment, naturally enough, to form the centre of his
main line.

The clearing, the largest yet seen by the Union Army since entering
the interminable wilderness of pines, was barely half a mile in
width; across the road it stretched for about three quarters of a
mile, and down the middle it was divided by a ravine.

Directly in front of Banks stood Taylor in order of battle, covering
the crossing of the ways that lead to Pleasant Hill, to Shreveport,
to Bayou Pierre, and to the Sabine. On his right was the cavalry
of Bee, then Walker's infantry astride of the main road, and on
Walker's left Mouton, supported on his left by the cavalry brigades
of Major and Bagby, dismounted. To this position, well selected,
Taylor had advanced from Mansfield early in the morning, with the
clear intention of offering battle, and, regardless of Kirby Smith's
purpose of concentrating nearer Shreveport, had sent back orders
for Churchill and Parsons to come forward. They marched early,
and were by this time well on the way, but a distance of twenty-five
miles separated their camp of the night before from the field of
the approaching combat.

As on the previous day's march, Stone had been with Lee's advance
since the early morning, without, however, being charged with the
views of his chief and without attempting to issue orders in his
name; but now Banks himself rode to the extreme front, as his habit
was. Arriving on the ground not long after Ransom, and seeing the
enemy before him in force, Banks at once ordered Lee to hold his
ground and sent back orders to Franklin to bring forward the column.
The skirmishing that had been going on all the morning, as an
incident of the advance and retreat of the opposing forces, had
become the sharp prelude of battle, and through the openings of
the forest the enemy could be seen in continuous movement toward
hi