The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-05

Horse md Negro Stealing Expedition
by Forrest -- Onfedcrntc Under
ground Railroad.
ALEXANDRIA, Tenn, July Goth, 1852.
Dr.. EEiar: The long-loolScd for has at
last come the joy and agony are over;
Che grand army" Of the Southern Con-
fedcracy," with which loyal men have so
long been threatened, has come and gone.
II made its advent into this village on the
18th inst, at about 10 o'clock, p NJ,
amidst the widest enthusiasm Of the
secesh The men ran to and fro amongst
them, almost frantic with joy, yieiug with
each other in pointing out Union men, for
the purpose Of either arrestne them or
obtaining forage from them. The women
pranced about, almost in a state Of hys-
tericlls they shouted, they clapped, they
waved.
The army" consisting Of FoRREsT's
command, numbered from 1000 to 1900
cavalry--for the most part a squalid,
thieving looking set, armed generally
with the double barrel shot gun, some of
them having no gun at all. The horses
corresponded in appearance with their
riders real Rosinantcs, that looked as il
they had nearly finished their career of
skedaddling. The gang struck camp in
the village for some five hours, the main
body Of them locating in the western
end, Immediately around the College
building while all the secesh houses were
filed with the remainder Of them, which
had previously been as well illuminated
with tallow candies as could be expected
in these hard times. Some of the women
were so taken with these dirty scamps
as TO visit them at the encampment, and
promenade among them as they slept,
sprawled upon the ground. Deluded
creatures Their exultation was des-
tined TO be short-liyed. The destination
of the gang was Lebanon, where there
was a small force of Federal cavalry,
| just arrived, which they calculated they
could, by a forced march, make an easy
prey of-men, horses, and stores. But
before they reached Lebanon, the Fed
erals had been duly informed of their
impending danger, and had got out of
the way several hours before their would
be- devourers reached the now desolate
village Of Cedar Snags." On the Sun
day after their downward march, a por-
ton of them returned through this place
in retreating condition. They passed
in small squads during the day to the
number of about one hundred, and few
have passed on several days since.
suppose this retreating gang was a detail
of the most expert horse thieves they
had, for they certainly well fulfilled their
mission, making clean sweep of it as
they went, going TO all the Union mems
houses on the road, and even off of it
taking all the horses that suited then
that they could lay their hands on
They also got valuable negro boy, Z
blacksmith, belonging to q Union man il
this place.
The secessionists Of this place rem.
dered them valuable service, giving then
lists Of names, and all necessary inror
nation. The Union men and Federali
should remember them for it.
viii not our Government rcmuncrat
the Union men that have sustained thes
losses, out Of the property of scccssionis.
in the various neighborhoods where th
losses have occurred? Justice demand
it, The only way to stop such raids il
to hold seccsh responsible for it,
It's more and more palpable that Their
is an irrepressiblo conflict approachin,
between Union men and Secessionists
They cannot much longer live togethe
peaceably in the same section Of country
One or the other will have to leave. ]
the Government does not compel seces
sionsts to leave, why, Union men viii
have to. If some fifteen or twenty Q
the noisy secesh were taken out Of eacI
neighborhood it would probably produc
quiet, and the others remaining woul
live peaceabiy. OBSERVER.