, 1862-09-09
{eotrespondence Of the Chicago Trihnre.l
HEADQUARTERS DIsTnICr OF JACKSON.

hour, col. M. 31- CIocker, 18th Iowa VoluE-
teers, commanding at Bolivar, Tenn, 1e-
ceived Information that 9 force of rebel cav
airy, supposed to be $50 strong, was near our
lines. Col Crocker sent ont Col Leggett,
78!h Ohio volunteers, With one. regiment of
his brigade, 1our companies Of the Cd cavalry,
commanded By Lieut.. Col. Hogg, two con-
panies Of the 11th Illinois cavalry, under
command Of Major Puzerbaugh, and q sec.
tlon Of artillery, vita Instructions to drive
awsy the rebels and reconnoit7e the country,
Col. Leggett marched ont about tbrze miles.
and at once became engaged with seven rez1-
ment6 OF the eremY's cavalry, commanded By
Gcn.Armstrong. The engagement lasted about
seven hours, and was chiehy skirlnithing, but
occasionally becoming 3 hand-to-hand fight
About four O'Clock in the af!ernooa, the enc
my was driven back, and {Col. Leggect re-
celvlrg reiGforccments about THAT time) aske-
dasoled." Ahuut three o'clock on Saturday.
Col Crocker telegraphed Gen. Ross, at jack
son, the state Of affairs below, who imsned;-
ately took the train 1or Bolivar, where he ar
rived about sundoHn. He found the whole
command there in fine condition end ready
for any sort of an emergency. It was the ia-
preston that aeavy lnfltry rorce was ia
the rear Of the secesh cavslry, and that tue
morrow would lnaugura1t u bio 3dy scene
Lieut.. Col. Aogg, LIEUT.. ShaE noa and ! r
geant El1erton ol tie I'd cavalry had been
killed in q desperate sabre charge. Cul. Hogg
cid Tot se7td his Een out to battle, bus tett
them. In his death the government has lost
one Of its bragest, best and most effective Of
fcers.
Sunday morning dawned clear and bright,
but the enemy had game. Gen. Russ, auCici-
pating an attack on Jackson, seeing that all
Was quiet ut Bolivar, took the early train for
the former place. When about half way, it
became necessary to take water, but the lauk
had been molested, and the hose WAS filled
with rubbisn-the work Of some u1derh snded
abettCr Of treason. This was 4 suspicious
locking state OF aft airs; but water must be
had, Or the train couldu't run. The general
Tas delayed here one hour, aod had just got
libel cavalry. dashed up. The force which
Col. Lesgstt had whipped, finding II Useless
to n,ake any further demonstration on Bill
Var, had crossed the Ha;chie in two divisions
one al Estinaula The Other at Cloyerport-
early Sunday morning, intending to cut off
capture The mcrniug train, aud taen move on
dickson. we hav>: siuce le.a7a.i taat this
was their pr, determined programme.
But they partially filled; tue train escaped
them By fifteen mlnnttS 0nly. Tae rebel5,
finding The traln WIS gune, iu,medi .tely at
{of the 45ih 1liteols) was guarding the rail
road. Though in an open neld, with but
forty men, and surrounded by u whole reS5i-
1nent Of cavalry, Capt. ROUSE fought for one
hour before his little baud was o9erpo @ered.
Spartars, every one Of them, or M;noisaas,
which means 1he same. After s,goob iug up''
this little squad, the enemy proceeded towards
Nj don, cutting the Telegraph wires and de-
royiDg the railroad track, burning oil the
tresle work. On arriving at Melon they were
JOINED b: several other reS iinen:s, and at nee
attacked Capt. Palmer, who WIS st1tioned
there with four companies Of the IS h Illinois
volunteers.
As soon as Gen. Ross was advised Of the
state Of affairs below, he directed Col. LAWYER,
Of the 18th illinois volunteers, to send rein.
forcenents to drive tue enemy from the rail
road: Col. Law1er dispatched six companies
OF the b Missouri volunteers, uuder the
command OF Major VIM. O,iyrr. Tais force
arrived at Medon late in the evening, and
found Capt, Palmer barricaded by Cotton
bales, huluiug the place against 1000 rebel
cavalry, which immensely superior force hs
had been ket piug at . respectful distance FOR
two hours. The 1th Missouri boys slit" of th
train and went into the hesisgers with Yell.
Here sharp little fight OF fifteen minute:
ensu d, when the enemy fled in great confu
sion. Brave, brave bo5s-al1 Of them! ]
mean oul-boys. Saturday night, Col. Lawlar
dispatched MT ssenyer to Col Dennis, Nht
vas Al E=tlmaula with two regiments, tht
3D Il Illinois {nls OWN reg giment) and the 20 It
Illinois. aid one section Of Schwariz's battery
Vi b ord. rs to retnrn immediately to jackson
Early Sunday morning he SIT out, and hag
been gone only sao!t time, when one Of th;
divisions Of the rebels crossed the Hatchie a
his abandoned camp.
When the Eth Missouri volunteers wer,
AiPnnn. ANA ms 3orr
dispatched by Gen. Ross to Col Denuis, {the5
on the road to JacEson) to alter his course
aid ettt ct junction. with the forces on tn.
| railroad. Col. Dennis did not receive the or
der IN time to accomplish anything on Sun
day, but vas early on the road Monday morn
! ing, from Denmark to Medon. Sunday nigh
| the hole reoel force Vas collected together
seven ressmeots-tor further operations Mon
| Gay, and it was this numerous horde that con
| cocted d. l1berate plan for the destruction O
our little band. ABOUT 10 q. m. Of Moaday
the 3o'h Illinois, which waB In advance, VA
suddenly attacked on three sides By six Of th'
! rebel regiments lJackson's regiment not hay
ing come up.) The 20th Illinois fought alou,
tor some time, breaking every charge Of ths
eneuy, until The 30th came up. Br this tin.
the enemy had been reinforced by jackson!
command, and came to the attack with re
ne"ed desperation. For four hours the com
blned forces ofthe enemy made the most des
/ ~AOAf7-At
and sent ht ing back in terror and confusion
| D9 the cool ard dauntless bravery of on
| glorious boys, who, standing shoulder II
| shoulder, piled men and horses in promis
cuouF, and terrible death at every yolley. 8,
lmpc'uoIs were the charges Of the enemy
,hat men and horses fell dead within feq
1eet ot our line, yet our brave, veteran boy,
never for moment wavered. After fou
hours OF hghriog, rendered desperate b.
hatfted rage-rage at not being able to crus]
the little handful, which their colonel, J scs
sou, said wouldn't make them q mou.hfu
| apiece" the rebels retlred
Inc section of "B 4tterJ Schwartz" tn
was IN tie tight, Tas ta1tn by the ene.ny esri
In the engagement, b ing deserted BIZ tie 1ur
| ners, WHO fled In dismay. The lieutenant i
| Command. however, with few Of his bors
stood bravrly at their posts but could accom-
pllsh nothing; for the coward:y guuners cal
11ea 3sa away the friction primers and eyerythin
| eise aEs'laole The .oth and 30sh Ills, wit
Capt Fosters 9TH Ohio independent cavalry
aud one company Of the 7atd Ill. cavalry, u1
| der Lieutenant O'Connel1. constituted ou
Whole force engaged-s'gallant six hundred
Inc rebel regiments we're the commands q
the following eolunels: Adams, Piuso
slemm9ns. % jackson. Forrest. BiIsto =, Wheel
| er. Col. Fore St was not with his command
| zen. Armstrong commanded the wh5le Col
| Wheeler is among the enemy's slain. Durln
the whole Of the engagement Col Denuis wa
on DE morse, apparently unconscious OF Del
| sonal danger, giving bis whole attention I
his command, and how well he did his dut,
and with what consu innate skill he manapt
bis little force, may be imagfoe
! from the fact that he ram
out of The terrible conflict with FIVE s NJ
Killed snd forty wounded, leaving one tundre
ands seventy OF the enemy dead on th
feld, and they have since been buried bV ou
boys The houses for miles around the scen
ct strife are filled with rebel wounded. Can,
Foster and Lieut.. O'Conuen, and their bray
little bands of cavalry, deserve all the glof
that whole nation can manufacture in a car
tury. Capt Rouse and company have bee
paroled By the enemy, who, when last heari
from, were making for Holly Spring
| promptly.
Ie1egraphic communication is open to Boil
var ana the railroad will soon be open. N
enemy near save few guerillas, who vi
soon be driven out,
liza more brilliant action than that Of Nor
day, can be fouDd in any history, anyWher.
vt shunld be glad to See tie record.
Three cheers for the brave Union eoldie,
every where. and especially for cur bows her
who have given rebellion such startling r,
buke-4say. E. P. UNuM.
Fourth Illinois Cavalry.
TREsToE, Tenn, Sept. 5, 1869.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
Please give the following notice prom
nent place In your widely circulated paper: