Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-16
+ " q TlREE,H CORREyl'ONDaNcE
TiE BATTLES OF BRIDGEPORT RArELE CREEK
AND STEVENSON
lCorresnundcnce Of t!se Richmonl E.nlnirer.l


rliy Slludo Ia thr.r lnuat interesting and dis
Insuiahcd Incidents General S. +. Maxey'
o; fe%as, with only 100 infantry, cavalry
n''I artillery, had been placed in command
ri the Confederate forces on the South side
OF the rrnnessee river, thus relieving two
brsades Of infantry and two Of cavalry un-
der he command OF Major General Heath
With this insignificant force, Gen. MaAey was
left /" c"h!rput Tor more than one month";
General Buell. at the head Of 10000 Federals.
by his irre#aant vigilance and lndomitable
energy, General MaAey prevented this adrcit
Federal General fru1l crossing the Tennessee
river, capturing Chattanooga and invading,
with his whole force, East Tennessee aud
>,orth-wcStern Georgia
Vixen Gen. Elirl Withdrew the greater l,or-
ton Of mis- army from the shores OF tho Ten
ncsscc river to the more interior portions Of
this State he still left The formidable fortiii-
cations NJ Battle Greek, Bridgeport alld Str-
Tenson strongly garrisoncd
Tho Battle Greel, fort commands Cha ingrEEs
ant c:;rcSs Of ;|Ic Battle Creek und Lequat-
! chs" ra!ies, rich in agricultural products
Bridgeport cOmuisuds the Trnncss1o river,
%iirr. the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad
bridge Tor l.2nu yards spnnne,l this beautiful
stream: The Qualifications 1t StrvensuT, The
most yacird and formidable, were located NJ
The Junction CT tie Nashville and Chattanooga
a'.l the Memphis and Charleston railroads,
Commanding the extensive values Of Crow
Creek and the lower Tennessee.
uh the morning OF the 18TH OF August, the
| frar guards Of the army Of Gen. Bragg had
crossed the Tennessee river aL Chattanooga.
while lis advance. under Maj. tIcn. CheGtham,
wn" Oh li'eir u,ar.!l 10 Nashville, some forty
mlvh distant ii WAS On This morning that Gen.
NaAry resolved 10 execute the bnid but perl
i"uS enterprise OF attacking Simultaneously,
and capturing the two strongly fortified r""tS
"a. !ilLlie Greek and Bridgeport. Tn ach,ryr
thiS the General procrrded with Il pDrJl"Gi nj
his intces, noe exceeding l,Uuu effective IN
lsn'ri', srti!ls:y ni"t cavalry.
Destitute OF boats IHiIh which ln cross the
river, es.lY in tie morning, nnohservr'i lay
| trc .I.,ny. G-m. Alrx'y ..uc:r-dr,i IN piariIig
H., i.tter.c, anh onc ~. FOUNDER ritled cannon
i; t'te ;nnSr eligible Positions bearing directly
| upon ,A. i1rl al Battle Greek, aI the distance
Il ir"m l,r;tn' l., l,2iri yards, dri;'nd=d, as
chci, ere. by slrall detachment nf in
hinlry. They wee ordered nnt 10 open fire
| uppn The fort till The assault upon Bridgeport
whCh they could easily iieHr lrGm distance
0; tive mics below
In The assault uw'n Bridgeport, fearful
ol'>t.';" presented iusrll i'll crossing the
river Wit. the infantry, Al tlel. were liz
ooals. Tn" ford At ti.,s point was nearly
500 yards in width, deep, rapid and almost
10 ths face rI the eIrIuys hGt!r:irs and long
ranged lilcry. Fortunately for tho intrepid
lltt!r army oI Gen. AaXey, thu Federals had
he,rd, aud believed that Iliis Generals com
uarid consisted Gf 10000 NEIL, and would
soon s!tnrk them IN 1uli force. Hence they
removed their artillery few days previous
" tu SirNensun. This fact WA then un-
known 10 Ctrn. MsScy. In order tu divert
| the attention and forces Gi til. r;,emy from
his mlaniry while iurl,ng the Iipu:, GrB.
MAScr ordered hii ravairy to crosS some
TWO and half miles 5clow EriGSeinIt, and
| 10 attack their lines on the " csi AID south
reest.- rhi, order being quickly eAer'daod,
| for the first ;irue since Con. Jackson iorded
thc Tainc:;scc river at the Muscle Shoals, in
III. wal of lSl2. was ODE seen Our infantry.
sith guns. nnd ammunition elevated above
their heads move steadily Oh IL the oppo-
site shore the water sometimes lavinG their
arm pits. IiIs was thrilling AMI appalling
spectacle /" .riIol.l. Rapid almost As thought
| after the shore Mas lrnclri, our lufahtrv
| cilnhed the bsils and the prec,pitUua &c
| 1iWtirs oi the mountain rlGp-, nirru which
stool Bridgeport. with Its eItrcnchments. -
S1on luc l.stt!e Iagrd Icrcely from RAM: Ia
rank from crested hIl IL rocky ,i1Ir. AMI
now ahr;4 the din al v"lIcl inusEetry, was
| i,csrd Tho thunder rear 0i our batteries and
iln 2.i-pnuI!d rifle Cannon, which had opened
their destructive fire upon the startled garri-
son n: ka,llc Creek. TIE dcrp rorges and
valiv; 81 the mountains trchlsd their fearful
| roar.
The enemy at Bridgeport believing that they
| would be Immediately surrounded by 4 vastly
superior force, after having four times irnpetI-
| on,!v charged upon the centre, the left and
,iELi wings Of uvr Infantry, and as often re-
i,:scd b. their deliberate and destructive fire,
lied prcc;pitai"ly down The road. and over the
escarpInrnt Of the mountains, in the direction
oi Stevenson. although Bridgeport Was then
captured, The ;:rIrIay's batteries .ilil replied
IT, nur', from their sl.lcndldly constructed
! furtticaiinnS 1T Battle Greek. ~ dark ali
| their guns were si1ucr'l, Yet they stubborn
{: maintained their position in the fort. The
| hon'.ardInant upon our part continued TIL
day Wight. un The morning nt the 5th OF July,
lien shc enemy were seen lying, pcll neil,
| up the :cclcsiLIeS Of the mountain, in the di-
Tctlinn oi Dcckard'S Depot. On The Nashville
and G.i;:ilAnooga Railroad. Thus, from Bridge
| bort II Chattanooga 4 distance o1 80 miles,
! have the eneluy bsru driven b. this dashing
ari gallant achievement, fram ali the rich
ta,ca, mountain slopes and 6hnri~. The
| North side al the IcnncsSec river.
In tho capture It bridgeport and Battle
Creek u considerable amount Of Quartcrmas-
ter, CoInm;ssary, Ordnance ami Medical
stores frl! into our p"sseHainn; sl Tie Adiu-
tan;'= papers. vahphI" maps, the papers and
camp rJnipl.,e- ol he 2jLt. rseirr,nt OF Tell
l,csare volunteers, taken by the Federala at
Fishing Crcek-alS" i considerable amount OF
Tei.:.,rap phic wire.
Iu the two battles our loss was 'Fcry slight,
not cycrsIire c m.n wounded and one mis-
sing. Ti5 was drn u the skill Of our Off
GERS, their thorough acquaintance with the
locations, anA tie i"iIcil"u- iudan,r in which
they shielded ,hcir s"Iders ny sIubns.,.d.:,,
rocky halls. ant deep ravinrs lfn,n he fire Of
the rna,ms. I: rnrrny's loss waa between
| 80 an, luu nr:, killed and wounded, ani !
prisoners.
The officers that particularly Distinguished
themselves were Captains Durc ami Freeman
! and the sf::rs under them wi.., managed our
Batteries at BATH. Creek; Gel, Mckinstry of
Mobile, 81 the lrrd of the indoinitahlc 32d
.iiabarns regiment. v ~ fought Ike veterans
also Lieut.. COL ilaury. Capt. j. II. licr, COM
u.Gn,Gg CoIhnan. :, "i Hom ards Bat
,nlion. 81 Georgia and Alabama Cavalry
Captain Scott, \. y. Ge,ursl, ren'l+red
t=on. i;aXer distinguished IND indispensa-
HE s+rv.co hy keeping him Thoroughly Y post
eh viii. rsgaIL ~ every m"veInent Of TREND
and ioG 81 both p"iT,i' Of assault, and indeed
| the pran;.! and ailant manner in which he
! discharged hia every duty. Inspector Gene
raj Capt ShuI,2. And Aid Lieut.. Andrews
rcndere,! most ciicirnl services Lieut.. llol-