New-York daily tribune., 1862-10-08
TIE ATTACK ON PONCHATOCLA.
omeisI Rcpar, OF Gen. Strong.

WAsniyeTos, TUESDAY, o.. !. itt-.
The following report las been forwarded to the
Headggarters OF the Army:
HyADQrAKTEKs DgpAEryrNr or rHR GuLP.)
Esw-OsLEASs. Sept. -, lso2.
MOjGeA. D. y. BUTLER, Con~andi"g LfP7''~e~s Of he
GrxERaL: Pursuant to your orders of the 18th
inst, embarked on the afternoon OF that day on
board the steamer Ceres at Lakeport, WIN three
companies Of tie l2ih Regiment Moine Volunteers,
comnlsnaed respectively By Captains Thornton, Far
rington and Winter, and one company, Capt Picker.
ings of the och Massachusetts, Regiment. had
previously sent one hundred men OF tie l1th Con ect-
iut Rec iment on board the gunboat New,l 1ondon,
whose commander, Capt. Read had Kindly con-
sented 20 cooperate with me.
TIE object in view was to surprise the village OF
PonchatOua, the headquarters Of tie Rebel General
jeff Thompson, forty-eight miles north Of the city,
Oh tie line Of the jackson railroad. 10 that end the
New-IOndon was 10 land her men at Manchac
bridge. whence at day-break next morning they
were to drive the enemy that might he fouAd there
nonhward 10 POnchatoula, while the remainder OF
the force, having found the way fifteen miles up the
TsDgipahoa in tie night, were to land ana InaIcA
six niles westward and capture Ponciatoula iD sea-
s0a 10 secure those Of the enemy who had been drv'
en- 10 from Pass Manchac.
Tie attempt 1T surprise failed, for not only was
the New-LOnd0n unable 10 get over the bar into
MaDctac Pass in the darkness, but the Ceres 100
large for the easy navigation Of the narrow ara
winding Iangipahoa failed 10 the two succeeding
niQhts 10 reach her destination that Iver Ia Tea
son 10 admit Of gaming POnchatoula before day
light.
/ resolved therefore, TO 90 with that steamer 70
EalchGc Bridge, and did 50 on the morning Ot the
18th. from tIat point Capt. Winter was sent with
bis company southwark to make the destruction Of
TIE railroad on hanchac Island complete, which
duty be thoroughly performed. Capt. Pickering's
company WAS eit 10 guard the steamer, aud the
panies Of Cspis. Thornton and Harrington began "a
forced march Of ten miles upon Ponchai ioula.
A locomotive one mile below the village gave no
tice OF our approach (which could not be eoncealed,
lnd ran nofthward, giving the alarm at the village
ud thence 10 Camp Moore Tor re.enforcements. We
net on entering POnchatOua discharge Of canister
Of seventy yaIds from light battery, in charging
which Capt. Thornton Tell severely wounded. His
company then, under Lieut. Hight, re-eniorced Capt
Farrngton's platoon on the enemys Iight while
Lieut.. Coan, with the second platoon Of that com
Iany, took QOstiOn under partial cover, on tue ieit
Of tie eneiny's line.
From these positions our men poured In 20 denDer-
ate AID destructive fire that the enemy was driven
from the field the artillery galloping away FOL
lowed by the infantry on road through tne forest
an pOrth-westerly direction. We then set fire TO
train Of upward Of twenty cars laden with cotton,
sugar, inoiasses etc, and took the papers from the
post and the telegraph Office destroying the appa-
raius III the latter and Gen. JeH 1hompsons
sword, spurs, bride, etc., from his quarters Ia the
hotel The sword was presented to him by the 60
called Memphis PatriOts."
A written document was obtained, which showed
The Rebel force at that point to ooIset Of 800 troops
Of the 10Th Arkansas Regiment, one company OF the
Home Guards, and one company Of artillery with
ak pieces.
| bad, however received Trustworthy information
that the enemys force was only 900 infantry, and
hosrierY. The reenfOrceDents had taken place at
ssspbsequent date. Our force engaged amounted TO
bat liz men.
We bit Of killed, wounded, and missing exclusive
VI ,hoe who have Just come in--amOng the last the
gaiAnl Capt. IhOmtOn), ten men at Poncbaioula.
surgeon Avery, Of the 9th Connecticut Volunteers,
Wlth his attendants, voluntarily remained with our
wounded, bot the former has since returned.
we brought in eleven men nOre or less severely
,%ounaed. One fatal case Of sun-stroke occurred on
board tire steamer
OoF return IRON Poncbntoula wae necessaIiy along
m ne ia'noao, through swamp, and Oh when there
mo cover ior troops aud il was therefore impossi.
.a Sao 70 Dnng on those Of our men who were most
severely wounded, as they would be exposed for
.uaY distance 70 the hre Of the Rebel artillery which
wih horses attached would be brought back Spon tho
Village. wv 'H'uio ha'o ie'' '"c
1hs artillery dIdW return al tho signal Of the