Daily Times, Leavenworth, Kansas US
From the Army of the Frontier.
From our Special Correspondent.
Very interesting letter from the Army of the Frontier.
Arkansas women chew Tobacco.
Gen'l Hindman's Diabolical Order.
Brilliant charge of the Kansas Second Cavalry.
Brown's Mills, Ark., Nov. 15th, 1862.

Ed. Times:--I suppose ;you have long ere this heard how the Kansas Second "jayhawked" four pieces of artillery from the rebels? It was a neat job, handsomely done, and the "boys" are deserving all credit for their promptness in the matter. I was present at the "taking," and trust your readers will bear with me in treating briefly an old subject. I do it merely to give justice to the companies and men who made the charge.—Company B, commanded by Capt. Hopkins; company D, commanded by Lieut. Moore; company E, commanded by Capt. Gordon; company H, commanded by Lieut. Ballard, and company K, commanded by Capt. Russell—the whole under command of Captain Crawford, their acting Major, made the charge upon the battery. The other five companies, with our two howitzers, supported us on our right and left, but did not take part in the charge. The battery was supported by some 4,000 men, as I learned from prisoners. Our loss was slight—their's [sic] very severe.—This may all read like a "fish story" to persons not present, but yet it is all true. The men went at it with a yell, and never halted for an instant, until they had surrounded the guns. It was a bold, brilliant affair, and nothing but the rapidity of the movement, and the well directed aim of our rifles saved us. They supposed, as they reported afterwards, that about 10,000 infantry were charging on them. No other regiment arrived on the field until after the guns were captured, and most of them driven from the field, by hand by the boys of the Second.

The Kansas troops form the First Division of the Army of the Frontier, and occupy the extreme right. It is under command of Gen. Blunt. We are now camped about eight miles south of Bentonville, on Prairie Creek. A detachment of three companies of the Second and two companies of the Eleventh are running Brown's Mill, about ten miles further south. Detachments from the First and Second Brigades, are running mills at other points near this. So far we have had no difficulty in getting wheat, but still the country has been pretty well foraged, and a large army would find it impossible to subsist here any length of time.

So much of Arkansas as I have seen, is pretty well "played out." Everywhere may be seen the effects of war, and the ravages of armies, in deserted houses, vacant fields, neglected farms, and the ruins of houses, fences and other property. The country is, generally, hilly, rough, and uninviting. But few men are to be seen, the conscript act having taken them into the army, or driven them out of the country. Where houses are occupied at all, it is by old men, women and children. The negroes have nearly all been driven South. An able bodied negro is as hard to find as a good, serviceable horse. But when they are found, the sight of the "Feds" causes them to expose rows of ivory under their noses, and turn up the whites of their eyes, with inexpressible delight, and they are always ready to "jine de army and go norf."

Women are plenty here—particularly widows, whose husbands are in the southern army. Unlike the women in Missouri, they are candid, and do not deny the fact of their being rebels. Many are quite intelligent, some handsome, a few interesting, and one or two that I have seen, really charming. But they all, or nearly all, I suppose, have a fault that is intolerable. At Cross Hollows I stepped into a house (accidentally, of course!) where there were three young widows and two girls—all rather good looking and quite intelligent. I congratulated myself, and at once began to make myself as agreeable as possible;---talked of the war, etc., etc., and of the scarcity of such articles as coffee, sugar, salt, etc. One of the ladies then remarked that tobacco was also very scarce, and that she had seen nothing but "conscript tobacco" for more than six months, and that she had used the last of that, that same day. I supposed, of course, she meant smoking tobacco, and expressed a regret that I had none but chewing tobacco with me. "That is the very kind we want," she quickly remarked. I at once drew out a plug, passed it round, and had the satisfaction of seeing each one take a chew, and commence the work of "grinding" in good style. A few days since I again (accidentally!) dropped into a house, where I found several young ladies—one a beautiful, intelligent, black-eyed, bewitching widow of about twenty summers. I did the "agreeable" to the best of my ability, and thought I was getting along pretty well, on a short acquaintance. My position was critical. I felt my heart tenderly incline toward the "lone widow," and began to have visions of "Unions," &c. But just as I was about to fall hopelessly in love, I saw her turn around in her chair, and with all the nonchalance of an old slave to the weed, squirt a large gob of tobacco into the fire, which went sizzling and sputtering over its live coals like a huge tobacco worm. Just then I thought I heard the report of a gun, and fancied some "bushwhackers" were firing on the pickets, beat a hasty retreat, with the last glimmer of romance for Arkansas women knocked into a "cocked hat." The women do chew tobacco.
Perhaps some of your gouty readers will say—"never mind about the women, what is our army doing?" Well, principally eating hard bread and bacon, and riding Government horses at thirteen dollars per month.—But we are not all idle, always. Col. cloud still "moves and has a being." On Friday, the 7th, with the Kansas Second, and a detachment from two companies of the Sixth, he left this place on a scout South. Six miles from here he come to a tannery, owned by a rebel. There were twenty four vats filled with leather just ready to finish up and send to market. Before we left they were emptied, the leather thrown into buildings, and the buildings set on fire. I suppose, at the least calculation, $30,000 worth of property was destroyed, in less than three hours. A letter was discovered from a rebel General, ordering the owner of the tannery to have his leather ready to ship South by the 2d of October.
From thence we struck South, and after going about twelve miles, bivouacked for the night. Before day we were again in saddle, and soon after sunrise came to Ray's mill, a fine, large, steam grist mill, about twenty miles from here. It was in good condition, but not running. After breakfasting here, we struck for Cane Hill, some fifteen miles south, near the Boston Mountains.—Here we ran across the pickets of Col. Emmet MacDonald, Provost Marshal of Missouri.—We soon scattered them, and pushed on for his camp, some six miles distant. His forces numbered about 400, and were doing Provost duty in that neighborhood. We soon reached the camp, but found it deserted—their camp-fires still burning. We pushed on to the hills with all possible speed, for about seven miles, until we reached a hollow, where the road forked, one leading back to Fayetteville, the other through the mountains to Van Buren and Fort Smith. We halted here a few hours, and were about to turn back for Fayetteville, when two of their scouts made their appearance, and fired on our advance. "To horse," was immediately sounded, and off we started, on a full gallop, over one of the roughest roads I ever saw. The chase lasted ten miles, and ended in our taking all their transportation (five wagons) and baggage, killing one man and capturing a rebel flag. It was a rough ride, but a nice, exciting chase, and but for the lateness of the day we would undoubtedly have followed up the flying rebels, and captured some men.

It was now sundown, our horses and men tired, and fresh pursuit useless. We were within twenty miles of Van Buren, and twenty-five of Fort Smith, in the heart of the Boston Mountains, with a poor prospect for forage for our horses. The regiment was turned back about five miles, when we bivouacked for the night. Early next morning we struck out for Fayetteville, which place we reached in the evening, camped for the night, and reached our "homes" next day in the afternoon.

On our return we captured some six or eight bushwhackers, who were "taken in" by our captured rebel flag. Seeing it, they supposed we were "all right," and came up to us with all confidence, and only discovered their error when they were disarmed, and ordered to "fall in" with the guard. It was rather amusing to see them come in. Supposing themselves among their friends, they blustered out all they knew; but the look of blank surprise and embarrassing astonishment that followed, was amusing in the extreme. Our "greeny" had disgorged freely from his budget of rebel knowledge. He was ordered to "fall in" with one of the companies, and go with us. As he rode up, he remarked: "Boys, if I didn't know better, I would take you for Feds." He did know better very soon after.

Arkansas is full of bushwhackers. They are regularly organized parties, and designate themselves as Provost Guards. It is a part of the system of warfare ordered by General Hindman. Among the baggage of Col. E. McDonald, we found a printed copy of Hindman's orders, organizing the Provost Marshal's Department. From General Order No. 17, dated at Little Rock, June 17th, 1862, and signed, "By command of Major General Hindman," I took the following extract:

"When as many as ten men come together for this purpose, (organizing independent companies,) they may organize by electing a Captain, one Sergeant and one corporal, and will at once commence operations against the enemy, without waiting for special instructions. Their duty will be to cut off Federal pickets, scouts, foraging parties and trains, and to kill pilots and others on gunboats and transports, attacking them day and night, and using the greatest vigor in their movements."

This is the system of warfare inaugurated by a Major General in the Southern Confederacy—one of the chivalry. It is the meanest kind of warfare and would disgrace a band of Digger Indians. We have lost several men by those assassins. No quarters should be given them. They deserve only the halter.

I dislike grumblers and fault-finders, but I am going to do a little of both, on my "own hook." Missouri rebels are acknowledged by all to be the meanest, most cowardly, dirty and halter deserving of any in all rebeldom; yet during our march through that State we were compelled, by an order from Gen. Schofield, to pay for every pound of forage taken. For corn, hay, oats, beef, &c., that was owned by known rebels against the Government, and who were at that time in the rebel army, and in the brush, shooting our men, we have to pay double prices, thus virtually giving them aid and comfort. Our men, who were tired, hungry and sick of hard bread and bacon, were threatened with death by shooting, if they were caught eating the meat from the leg of a rebel's chicken. Nothing was to be taken, nothing touched, nothing tasted, or even smelt, that belonged to rebels, and all in direct opposition to orders from the War Department. But just as soon as we crossed the line, and came into Arkansas, a new order of things prevailed. Men were allowed to forage to their heart's content, forage was taken without even receipting for it. These things look a little queer to one not admitted behind the curtain. Why is it that Missouri rebels must be paid for their stuff, in violation of orders, while Arkansas rebels are stripped of everything, without so much as even saying, "by your leave, sir!" It may be all right, but I cannot see it, and I doubt whether you can. I am in favor of foraging off the enemy; but I am opposed to nursing one set and cursing another.

The 11th and 13th Kansas regiments have been with us for some time. The 11th is in the 3d Brigade and the 13th in the 2d Brigade. As yet they are untried; but we all have confidence in them, and believe them to be fully up to the standard of Kansas troops for fighting. One thing I have noticed in them, they are adapt at foraging. I think they run the business a little too strong.—The old Kansas troops—the "scum" as the new levies term us—generally leave something for the women and children to live on; but the "bone and sinew" take all—strip them as bare as birds just out of the shell.—I hardly think the exigencies of the case call for such extreme foraging. The men generally go out alone, and I suppose this is done without the knowledge of their officers; I hope so.

Camp rumor has it that we are to go back to Kansas to winter. I hope not. I think if the matter was left to the men (of the 2d at least) you would not see us in Kansas again until after the close of the war. We want to go further into Dixie, where there are more chances of "fun." Save me from Kansas; we had too much trouble in getting out of the State last summer ever to wish to get back again.

The health of the "boys" is good. We have had some cool weather, but generally it has been very pleasant.
Yours ever, &c.,
M.