"The evening of the day on which Taylor gained the brilliant
victory at Mansfield, Churchill with his infantry, under Tappan
and Parsons, joined him and took part in the fierce battle of
Pleasant Hill, a conflict in which each army was considerably
shaken, but which was followed by the retreat of Banks.
Upon the retreat of Banks, Churchill's division was withdrawn
from Taylor and sent to unite with Price in an attack upon Steele, and
Tappan's brigade after a long march participated in the battle of
Jenkins' Ferry.
"The Missouri expedition of General Price was the last great
movement in the Trans-Mississippi, and in this Tappan bore an
honorable part. At the close of the war General Tappan settled
in Helena, Ark."
Source: Confederate Military History, vol. XIV, p. 416
............................................................................................
In his report General Tappan said:
"On Thursday night, April 7th, about 11 o'clock [being encamped at Keatchie], I received orders to hold the division in readiness to move the next morning for Mansfield, at daylight . . . We reached Mansfield that evening exactly at 3:30. The battle of Mansfield was then progressing, but Major-General Taylor not deeming it necessary to order us into the fight, we were directed to take position on the Gravelly Point road to prevent a flank movement of the enemy, which was anticipated in that direction. That night the division prepared two days' rations and slept upon their arms, in line of battle. At 2 a. m. we were summoned, and moved promptly at 3 o'clock. We expected to meet the enemy 4 or 5 miles distant. When, however, we reached the point he had retired to the night before, we found he had precipitately fled. We instantly took up the line of march in pursuit, the division under my command taking the lead of the infantry troops. We proceeded some 18 miles, to within 2 miles of Pleasant hill, where we were informed the enemy occupied an advantageous position. Within thirty-six hours my division had marched some 45 miles, almost without sleep, and were necessarily very much worn out and fatigued. After resting about two hours we diverged from the main Mansfield and Pleasant hill road, and proceeded some 4 miles for the purpose of making a flank movement upon the enemy. Brigadier-General Parsons' Missouri division was upon my right.
"My line was formed at about 4:30 o'clock. . . . I threw out three companies of skirmishers under Major Steele of Grinsted's regiment, and immediately ordered my line to advance rapidly as directed. . . . For an hour and a half we were as warmly engaged with the enemy as it has ever been my experience to witness on any battlefield. My division, however, never faltered, but moved steadily forward, with the valor of men determined to succeed or fall in the attempt. . . . At this juncture, learning that the division on the right had been outflanked and was falling back , I immediately directed my attention in that direction and saw that such was the case. When said division had swept entirely past mine, and my command became exposed to a heavy and murderous fire from the flank as well as from the front, I ordered the brigade commanders to fall back with a view of forming a line in a more advantageous position. . . . The exhausted condition of the men, the lateness of the hour (it being near dark), and the denseness of the thicket made it extremely difficult to rally the men. While the battle lasted no men ever fought more gallantly. This is evidenced by the fact that the enemy made little or no attempt to pursue our line; on the contrary, he fled toward Red river as soon as night came, leaving his dead to be buried and his wounded to be cared by us. The loss of the division in the engagement was as follows: Killed, 26; wounded, 112; missing, 63."
[Louisiana and Arkansas, Confederate Military History, Gen. Clement A. Evans, ed., The Blue and Grey Press, Vol. X, n.d., pp. 244/5]