Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-29
FIRE oF TIKI BATTERIES ON
REHR KAZND.

The MississipDiaH publishes a vindicabon OF
the militia forces on the Yazoo river, from the
in,utation east upon their conduct by 8 cor
respondent Of this paper and the Mobile Tsie-
graph. We deem it but an act of justice to the
Minute Men to publish this yindicaton, although
we think they have already received a sufficient
e-xculpation from all uDgeneFouS imputati7ns, st
the hands Of General TUPPER, whose card We
published q lew days since.
We deem it also proper to state that our cor
respondent could not have been aciuated by any
improper or ungenerOus motives in making the
statement he did. He no doubt ehrOnicled what
was the common and current report on the
streets of jackson, and we are sure there are
none more anxious than he and ourselves to see
the militia Of the State made, as we have no
doubt they wiz be. an efficient ann Of our mill
tary defense. The Mssissippian saSs:
The facts Of this affair, as we obtain them
from those who know all the circumstance
about the matter, are substantially these; On
the Doth Of July General TupDer ordered two
REGIMENTS of Minute Men TO Haynes Bluff to
sn3Dort the batteries which General Van Dorm
had ordered 10 be erected at that place. These
troops were never intended " to man" the bate
~N@ER
RES. but to support them after they were erected
and put in fighting trim By some fatality the
order of General Van Dom was not carried out
in time, and when the gUBboats Of tho enemy
arrived, our guns were lying loose upon the
ground, not having been erected and wholly
unfit for use.
The State troops under the immediate COM
mand Of Budagier General Winter, were sta
I toned q mile and a half from the bluf, engaged
ia infantry drill and other duties pertaining TO a
camp Of instruction, and ready at all times to
guard and support the guns whenever they
should be placed in position.
On the 20sh inst, General Winter being alb
sent, the command devolved upon the senior
colonel, Ben. King, Of Copiah, a man OF military
experience, and acknowledged gallsntTy. From
NEGLECT Of the picket guard or some other cause,
the approach Of the g~unboats wasn not announced
to the command until the arrival OF a messenger
from General Smith, who had reached the camp
only q few moments before the enemy announced
his avn arrival By sending a few shells IN the
direction of the camp. Colonel King, however,
| Immediately put his troops in motion toward the
river. for the purpose Of meeting the enemy,
shD uld he attempt to land in force. lie formed
3 line of battle within less than half & mile OF
the fleet, within range of his guns while Cap
tain Dunn's cavalry company was stationed at
/ points above and below and nearer the nver, to
watch the movements Of the enemy.
The troops remained in this position from 8
o'clock p H., until midnight, displaying here
and in al their movements the GOODNESS, patience
and courage Of veteran soldiers. A few hours
afterwards while Gen. Winter (who had reached
the field and taken command) was endeaYorlng
to form a junction with Col. Withers' artillery,
and to support him in bringing up his batteries
the enemy succeeded in destroying some OF the
| heavy guns al the waters edge, aud in taking
others on board and passing up the liver.
In all these movements, we are reliably in
formed, there was nothing like a "ingattul
! panic in fact there YVES no panic at all, no
fleeing or retreati ng, but every man displayed
the bravery and ~unfinching coolnes which
have characterized the conduct OF true Misslssip
plans upon every field.
II cannot be the object Of the writer in the
| APPEAL TO reflect unjustly upon the conduct OF
these troops, and hence We conceive that bis ls
formation was totally iuc0iTect-the report
which reached his ears totally fslsei and being
convinced of this we do not doubt that he viii
hastily correct the impression which his article
may have caused.
Since writing the foregoing, our attention has
been also called 10 another letter IN the Mobile
Telegraph, signed "Junius" 1t is upon the
same subject, and 4eated substantially in the
same manner. The same person must have been
the author Of both these communications. Tns
accusations in the Telegraph are equally an
founded, and we cannot see the business, the
p~ropriety or the patriotism of this seemingly
systematic attempt to reflect upon these troops.