, 1862-11-18
HEADQUARTERS OF TIE ADVANCE, |
HOLLY srHINGs, Miss, Nov. IA. 1862.

,Eas in command OF Capt. Dikeman of com
paEy 4, and this was followed oy Col. Hatch.
commanding the first brigade of the division.
consisting Of the I'd Iowa cavalry and Sd
Michigan cavalry. Lieutenant Col. Herrlck
Of the 7th Kansas cavalry led the q brigade.
We Tere not obstructed until we arrived
within short distance Of the rebel breast
works, just outside Of the town, aBd not
nile distant. Here dozen rough 10 ,kins
butterhuts with sorry etecds kaIdled and
brld1ed, had been Standing picket ii, night
lorg, and #esried, had fallen asleep by the
way side, where they had built their camp
ire. So soundly did they sluuber that they
beard not the noise Of the advancing column
until the oeyance guard WAS within 200 yards.
They sprung 10 their horses, but before tiI1y
could oun5 Capt Dihelnan came rapidly
forward ut ch2rge, snd ordered them to SUI
reEder. Ore brave trllow drew his revolver
ard shouted tsncver!'' but shot from one
Of the soldiers soon 'aid him low, and another
killed his hc1se. Three offers were killed,
anG all the olm rs wounded ard taken 1,rison-
ers, excepting one, who escaped soma where
to tEe lett ct the column, beyond the town
When tcae in directly after, one poor fell
low, 1he one who brs7ely refused to eurren-
der, was lying By the roadside, dead The
others Killed were brought in sdortly after, sud
the three were uncercHlprioutly tumbled lato
a ctm1hop grave, where they sleep the slvcp
tlst knows 10 waking. They have fought
their last battle.
From this point We experienced no Difficult
ty, but marched directly on up The ascent Lead
ng to tie village, and drawing our forces IN
tscht OF the c~url house took formal Possess
len Ct th& city.
Every avenue Of approach to Rc'ly Springs
W:s Ir-t laktn :.O5sc=slon Of by The cavalry,
aud patrols we're sent our to arrest all pErsons
cEdcavclltg TO 1euve the city. This duty end
Cd. ucnJlc1liary visit was made to ths several
dwellings, aud from bedrooms and kitchens
were 1aken several distinguished prisoners,
anorE whom we're SEVERAL officers VINO mad
ttks advantage of the proximity OF the rebel
cavalry to visit fh If families in Hully Springs.
They did Eot dream Of federal attack aud cat,-
1tre- The folloTirg officers were takru p7ls-
ortIR:
Capt. Clark ccmmisEarv yaa Dor1l's staff
(ai't. EaF11s. a A. General Oh Col. U11'4 staff,
Lieut.. ke}I,t.lds, lat Ttun cavalry
Lieut. Ersau 1.E Tenn cavalry
division. .
A.4ie1srt Surgeon Bullock, Jackscn's division.
lient. i. Il AanrY, A. d G. IT Gen hlaury
While these prisoners were being broirht
IN, oIhtr sQu*os OF cavalry we're sent to visit
the stables Ia Town, and presently horses aud
mules, led BY enthusiastic soldiers, were
proughtto the public square in the centre OF
which the court houee, an ancient editice Of
considerable architectural pFetepsiou, is stu
ated. Here Liz ut. Budd OF company G, "a
Iowa, WIS Installed SIS provost marshal, and
began to dispense the gospel according to
Abraham: Ills court s5as quickly besieged by
citizens, from whom horses and mules were
taken, aehipg redress. Lieut.. Budd referred
them to Col Lee, who would cool1y ask the
applicant for relief, If the horses we're valua-
iie ard the mules scr7iceable. It an atlirma-
tive answer was given, Col. Lee would, with
the animals the government needs You have
furnished the rebels with material aid, and
now you must aid It's. One Stuart once made a
raid into Pennsylvania ard took quantity OF
ab1nals, and now We propose to pay you in
your own coin" The consequence is, that
Wt. have large number Of valuable horses.
sid our men hav. al excellent remount.
Col. Lee needed forage Tor his hor es, aud
called the mayor and several prominent citi-
zeps together, aud stated 10 them his wants,
He gave them two hours to collect quantity
Of com, sufficiently large to supply tie three
1Ly!I cuie. Thete p utl:men at first de-
nuEl cd, but The li1t that url:ss it was FORTH
coming in that tine 4 contribution would b:
1sS'cd nl'on the eeccssiorists to the amounr
Il $500, Put these gG-ntlemen to their er1nps
aid shortly after the requisite amouut
Ct forage vas forthcoming. When C,ioseI
Leg first reached Hclly springs, q ba.-
'shon consisting OF four companies
Of Tie ST. Michigan, under Lieutenant Colonel
Moyer, nf that regiment, WAS sent south OF
lolly o;,llDg6 on reconnaissance. He came
up with the rcb.Is not fir from Lumpk1ug
Mills, ard immediately brisk ekir1;sh en-
sutd, in which the rebels we're at fist driven
in Afterwards they rallied, aud drove Us,
NEen we slowly fell back to Holly Springs,
DErIrg this preliminary ekiFmish, Col. Mover
captured twenty prisoners, killed fou. OF Eve,
II wounded ten Others. lie returned to tue
town at ten o'clock, and matters went On
swimiugl5 till QUE.
Meantime Col Lee had selected his head
quarters, a fine brick and stucco mansion, in
the centre OF 1ot filled with eyergreens and
| sLTubbe.y.
Our "irtelligent contraband had for.ped
| upon the nelghbors, and furnished an appe-
] Using repast, to which We were abcut t. do
smPle justice, when courier a5Tiytd from the
f'oht with the Interesting intelligence thar the
t entn,y had appeared III front 1ot mile and a
| bali distant, in heavy fuFce, and was adTa1..
{; iEg upon the town. For the moment all
| thoughts OF eating vanished, and, noun ting,
re ire speedily gaiioping nth regi nent oi
caSai1y 10 the 'front.' Arrived at the S5ro + ps
tie hill overlooking the battle ground, We
were saluted u voileg Of muske:r7 from the
Ie5tltt at least five r scimen;s and 600 str ,nr
posted On another hill 4 half mile and more fo
the westward. The balls mos'1y Tell ssaor;.
but one, evidently thrown from rifle Of N are
Than ordluary 1ange, came singing over our
net more than tnirty feet behiu& us.
Wien Col. Lee Started to meel the enemy
he sent Col. Hatch hy the Salem road, run
ring nearly parallel With the road upoa which
Coi. Lee wAa posted, with the intention Of
stacking them 10 the rear. On the enemy's
4 o1o
right. Col. Lee deployed seven companies.
dismounted, armed with Colts revolving rifles,
snd SUPPORTED by two companies of sabres.
ano advanced to attack their right, where they
set med in great force At tlls same tiuae be
dcplo1ed battalion, dismounted and armed
TWO mounted battalicns in the centre. The
enemy, observing this disposition OF our
forces, marched Lis division one half to the
t'mter On the right and the other to the tin
ber on the left The former hall reached the
de51Ted dsh13ea position, With the eyident in,
turning cur lett tank, attackiue
US in our rear. Fortunately. Col Lee, bY =
happy inspiration, had prevented this nova.
me1t By SEEDING Col Hatch On the Salem
| road. he arrived ut the timber Just as the
rebels reached It, and drove then, back with
the utmost precipitation. The rebels fred a
yollty or two and fled across the bro n Of tha
hill and Joined their left wing. It was during
this flight that 8 shot from one Of the revoly-
irg rfles. in the hands Of onr boys, killed 3
fcnd lieutenant. Cot Hatch followed closely.
ard succeeded in killing four or i've more
ard wouDding others. or course, there was
no more work for our boys in front Of the
! rebel right ard centre, and reports coming in
| lrcm cur right wing that the enemy we're at
tempting to turn our flank aud make = similar
! detsot stration, our forces vera shifted in
that dir ction. The enemy, IRON the bro y OF
tEe Hill Wherc our iosces we're stationed, were