New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-11
ux.,or.prrss DEPARTMENT os THE SovrH,
A.ne0%o~ fi..xa. n = N C. Nov. l. ltbA J

late Mai Gen. q. NJ. Mltchel ltien .ii . - -.
.deyroy the railroad and railroad Bridges on tne
Casrlsston snd Savannah line, in the vlcini'y Oh
Pocatanco and Coosshatchie. ,.,
The forwarding Of this report has hitherto oeen
DELAYED owing TO the illness and subsequent neasu
Of Mai. Gen Mitchell The reports Of the orlgaao
and other commanders, together with list OF Ihose
officers and men who personally distinguished Them
selves, l will forward by the next mail.
b.v. the honor to be- General ms' 'B,sRSS4R your
''''''' 'Bd.aierG,n.r.l Commanding the nsgs'.men
To Brig Gen L. THOMAS, Adjussns'G U. D. A.
The report alluded to 10 the above Dispatch bas
already been published Il bears the date Of Oct ~.
Annexed, however, is the official report OF Col.
Burton, of his operations at Coosahatcbie:
Hr.pou.xrxR. u. s. Forcs. on THE s,vAyyan Rivra
FoRT PULASKI, Ga, Oct ~ i5os; ,
CAPTAIN: have the honor to report my snafe ~
the recent operations against the Chariesson ana
Savannah Railroad. In accordance win ORDERS
from Gen. Mitchell, received on the evening OF tho
10Th inst, left this port ct o'clock O. IN. on ,ne
Dist inst. with 800 men of the 4Sth New-York vof-
unteers and so men of the 81 Rhode leland Artiery
the latter under command of Capt. John ii. Could:
with three days cooked and seven days uneoosed
rlions, on board the armed transi ort Planter.
On arriving AZ Hilton Head, received nstruc-
tons as TO my number in the line Of the feet, and
also directions to report TO Brig Gen. Brannan who
commanded the expedition, on reaching Mackays
Point, for further orders. Soon after daylight IN
the morning Of the ga inst, reported 70 Gen.
Brannan Oh board the Ben Deford, and was directed
by him 10 proceed with my command up the Goose
hatchie River as near to the town CT that name
might deem practicable, and, dsembarkipg under
cover Of the gunboas, which were 70 accompany me,
70 move toward the town, aud If possible 20 reach
the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, and destroy
it aud the bridge on it the Cooeahatchie. was
fully instructed, however not 10 hazard too much in
order TO accomplish the above. but il opposed by
force at all superior, to fall back under cover OF the
feet.
There was some delay in starting, arising from the
gunboats being well TO the rear which improved
by borrowing from Commander Seedman, on board
the Flagship Paul Jones, twelve-pound Dahl
gren boat howitzer aud SO rounds Of ammunition,
which proved of great service 10 me, and for which
I desire return my thanks. was also furnished,
| By Gen. BraDnan's order with fifty men from
the New.York State Volunteer Engineers, under
command of Capt. Eaton, provided with tho neces-
sary implements for cutting the riroad etc. We
were soon under way, and had proceeded some three
miles up tie river when The gunboats turned around
and came back, in compliance, a. l am informed,
with AL order from tho flg ship. /, however con-
tinued on my conrse in the Planter, meanwhile
signaling 10 the flag officer Tor at least one gInboat,
in reply TO which he kindly cent two-the Patroon
and the Marblshead-wLich followed after the lapse
Of few minutes.
The river ct this point is narrow and winding bnt
the water az most places was over twelve fcet In
depth At low tide. found 10 difficulty, therefore,
I
hatchie, but it now beiag alnos. dead low TIDE
| further progress by water was rendered impossible
| by the Planter running aground. Throwing lew
sbells in the woods dsembarked with ny infantry
ana engineers rs expedtiousy as possible, taking
with me the boat howitzer referred 10 above, -
charge Of Capt. Gould, 81 Rhode Island ARTILLERY,
and detachment Of twelve OF his men. Ihe
svarnpy nature OF tho ground rendered landing Gt-
cult but losing no tine, advanced toward the
main road sencing request to the ofticer IN com.
n. tl,a f..ls,, A. me- and
about mile and half astern, 70 cover the road in
ms rear as | advanced. l should state hers that
both If the gun-boats were unfortunately aground,
and were thus prevented from taking position
nearer 10 tho Planter. My advance reported squads
of cavalry in sight as tue main body Of my forcea
entered the rod, which il did at rlsht angles 10 tho
point of Decentralization. The road proved 10 be au
excellent one hard aud firm, aD1 evidently rerarec
br an hour or two BEFORE the dirt being still fresh,
and the tracks upon il showed plainly tia, artillery
infantry, snd cavalry had just passed over 1t.
I CONTINUED my advance toward the town, driving
in the enemys pickets aud sklrmisaing tne country
Ga thoroughly as possible. When about one milo
from the village, the whistle OF locomotive was
heard. I was Informed by 'be contrsbano who had
been furnished guide tnat u was The dirt tram.
which ALWAYS passed az that bonr, and which, 10
sa,l. was well on it, WY TO Savannah. A few
momeuts. however, proved that be bad msinformed
ne for when the main bo6y VI my forces arrived st
a pont within few hundred yards oi the town, and
when The skirmisb,ng had already reached she rail.
road track and telegraph line, the tram was heard
and seen rapidly coming down the road. qmcky
rlaced my battalion in position, aud as the trsin
/ approached directed a rapid and heavy IRE upon
IN with crane aud canister aud musketry. This hro
was very destructive. The train consisted Of eigns
cars. six of which we're platforms crowded with
men and two cars filed with officers. There were
also TWO light feld-peces on board. Many were
seen 10 fall on tie first fire, among the n the engineer,
and o5 or 30 jumped from the train, most OF whom
were manned or killed, and the rest, Win one eS-
leeptIou beiaking themselves TO the woods ana
s,arnrs on the other tide OF tae track. We carried
ayav or DESTROYED here about 20 stand Of arms.
mostly rifles, aud secured one officers sword ard
cap and stand OF coors belonging TO tae Whippy
Sycamp Guardsn We left a numUer Of the enemy
dead and wounded on the track. .
| 1 have since learned, fIom tie Savannah paper, OK
tt 9th aud 25h inst, thai among the killed 81 ths
uoint was Major HARRISON OF The llth Georgia Resi-
ment, which regiment, with the guards na'Led
above were on the train. lmui.diateiy aiter tne
train had yassed Capt Eaton, BY my directions, ses
Vigorously AZ work tearing up the railroad trac
ana continued thus until tie retr at was sounded.
Ater this occurrence concluded II possible, " pnsh
ny way rapIiy into the town and attack the troops
ithere while in the confusion OF dsembarkIng ana
marched forward that purpose. had proceeIe1
but "A short distance, howsver before came III Iuis
view OF the euemys forces aiydhtssssnsy poe'.u
on tho other side OF the public cad bridge pelNeen
that ami the railroad bridge. They were isnssd 90
their left by the liver, and on tne right by thicS
swamp, with lhree pieces of artillery commanding
tho bridge. They Immediately opened fire upon us
with their artillery ard infantry. Fortunately foR
us their firing was too high. fred few rounds IN
return, when. as 70 was now nearly night, ana the
eneny's retniOrcements above double my ep-
tire force, marched slowly back TO my boats
During my retreat the skirmi.hers frequently OBJ
served aud encountered small bodies of the enemy q
cavalry, who were, however easily driven OF.
directed Capt. Eaton Of the Engineers, TO destroy
the bridges on the road in my Iear which he did