Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

Taylor resolved to wait for his adversaries on the hill upon the top of which was the cross-road. The road between the Sabine and the Red River afforded great facilities to defend this position, which commanded Mansfield. Walker's and Mouton's divisions occupied it early on the 8th. Green received orders to leave but a small detachment in front of the Federal cavalry, and to come promptly and join them, so that all the army might be posted when the enemy should make his appearance. Lastly, Churchill was summoned in haste. He had twenty-eight miles to travel from Keatchie to Sabine Cross-roads, and consequently could not arrive in time to take part in the fight on the 8th. But Taylor well knew that Banks also could not engage all his forces that day, and Taylor relied upon Churchill to resume the fight on the second day if the Confederates did not gain the victory on the first. Walker had deployed his three brigades on the right of the road; Mouton's two brigades were on the left. Each of these two divisions was supported by two batteries of artillery. Green's battery was not long in arriving, and, placing itself on Mouton's left, thus prolonged the line of battle into the second valley. Each of the cross-roads was occupied by a regiment of cavalry; a third remained in reserve with one battery. Taylor's forces in the field amounted to only five thousand three hundred infantry, three thousand cavalry, and five hundred artillery—say eight thousand eight hundred soldiers, or nearly ten thousand combatants, counting the officers, as did the Federals.

The Union cavalry had set forward at daybreak with the brigade of infantry that Colonel Landram had brought. The position he was leaving is about sixteen miles from Mansfield, and consequently only twelve miles from Sabine Cross-roads. The road, which is rather narrow, passes through a number of glens the passage of which would delay the trains. It is bordered with pine woods, very thin on the heights, and in the low ground covered with thickets. The Confederates having abandoned Bayou St. Patrice, and having left in front of Lee but a mere curtain of