, 1862-12-13
FROM GEN. GRANTS ARMY. :.
SEVERE ENGAGEMENT At COZ
FEEVILLE.
Five thousand Rebel Infantry
t{esist our Cayairy Advance.
GGl7 s 1ECKEY AND LEE COMPELLED
70 FALL BACK THREE MILES.


Llst OF Killed, wounded and Missing
(From Our Own Correspondent
In CAMP NORTH OF THE YocKESArAroruA,
SEVENTEEN Miles SogTu oF
OxFoRD, Mtss., Dec. 6, 1862. -
When penned my last letter VIC were hot
II pressing the rear Of General Vnn Dorn's
rctreatlng column, and fully expected to cn-
camr to-day at Cof1ecviile, From here to
Grenada is but eleven miles, and here we
thought to spend the Sabbath.
IMAM PROPOSES, BUT GOD D1sPosEs."
This is trite expression, and true one.
We did propose to capture Cofeeyllle, but
just as the hand was outstretched, which was
to enclose them within its grasp, they man.
aged to escape, and came near enclosing us
within Hcir grip. Not to put too fine point
upon it, they came very near capturing our
whole command, and making mess of the
expedition.
4 SOUTHERN YANKEE.
Dr.. Simmonds, the planter at whose farm
VIC cncamped for the night, is genuine speci-
men Of the genus Yankee, with Southern sur
roundings, He emigrated to Mississippi thir-
ty years ago without dollar, has accumu1a-
ted large properly in lands and ''niggers,''
married a Southern lady, and fully identified
himself with Southern society and Southern
institutions. Hc claims to have been 7oTiuatcly
4 Union man, hut was compelled TO express
himself otherwise, because his Northern birth
/ and antecedcnts render him liable to suspicion
BURNED BIS COTTON.
| The rebels in their evacuation Of Water
~
| night that we occupied the village, an out
| house containing thirty bales more vas fired,
| it is supposed, by rebels, and these he lost.
! He has still 200 bales left, with which he hopes
| to make an honest penny By selling it to the
| Yankees. This may account for the modera-
tion Of lis political views, and his sudden
| conversion to loyalty. The doctors corn
| cribs and fodder stacks were eaten up by our
horses, aud our soldiers killed his sheep and
| pigs, and to use his own expression, the was
| hare Of subsistence and in danger of starya-
ton" There was no help for it, as the boys
| were out Of rations, and were forced to Il sub
| sist upon the enemy"
ROMANCE AND REALITY
| About dark Thursday night it began to rain,
and from then until daylight the rain fell in
I torrents. There was not u moment Of let up.
! Those Of us who were fortunate enough to
secure quarters in the DOCTORS log mansion
Jared well enough, but tile poor soldiers
sleeping upon the wet ground with nothing
to protect them from the inclemency Of the
weather but single pair of blankets, must
| hare suffered exceedingly. There is Il certain
sort Of romance connected with the encanp-
1nent Of an army in the open air in 1nidsu1n-
| mer; but when the same duty is required in
chill DECEMBER, and in the rain and snow at
that, my experience is, that then the romance
Disappear and it becomes a stubborn and dis
| agreeable fact.
! The NARRATIVE.
NY narrative left MS at Water Valley, with
the following order Of march for tile morrow
Col Misencr, with the Sd brigade in the ad-
vance, Col. Lee with the lst brigade in the
centre, and Col. Hatch with tile I'd brigade in
the rear. This order was changed in the morn
| ing by Col. Misencr taking Il road running
parallel with the CofEcyille road, which
brought him to the rear Of Col. Lees column
whcil lie reached it. The column was thus
led by Col Lee.
TIRE CHOOSING OF TIE oTUCKALAFFA-
| During Thursday night, plantation road
/ was discovered leading south Of the farm,
where we we're cncamred, and connecting
with private bridge which the enemy had
neglected to destroy. This bridge was pick
cted heavily, ;,B were also all tile roads and
paths leading to it, and Instructions given to
prevent any rebel demonstration against it
a large detail WAS employed during the night
i'll filling the rufs and holes in the road and
making it passable for our wagons and artil
1cry.
TIE MARCH
At T o'clock Friday morning tlle column
started in the order indicltcd above At !;
proper distance from the river, a large 'd
vance guard vas sent forward, and i com
ami left of Tho roatl u:s skirm1lsicEs. We lile
no opposition until four miles out, when W.
came upon the rehci yldcttes. Here the ad
vance was strengthened, and moved ahe;lt
cautiously. \ mile or moro, when we encoun
tered company Of confederate cavalry. Here
there WAS !, sharp skirmisl, resulting in til,
| retreat CT the enemy. They fell back con
| stant1y receiving :,ecessions to their numbers
10 the next hi!i. There were alternate skir
PASSED. jus; beyend the open field there VIA
I'll tn1ineEcc 1ringcd with scrub oaks and Gov
cred with a dense underground where tll
c,,e11y las posted III considerable strength.
AhT1L1 Eiir aaANEy1Ens.
At this point the skir!nishing becam
heavy, and the enemy holding their ground
Col. Lee brought forward Il 10-pountler James
; lji1ets gun, and uulimbcred the piece. Brfor
! placing it in position, however, the elem
; sluwlS gave way, and Without firing, the pui
suit continued. Slowly tile column followed
| a half mile further on, ile same mancuyc
! | vas resulted, but 4 new retreat made it a@a
} useless. Finally the rebels crossed q cleare
. valley through which flowed i small creek
On the south side was thick growth G
: brueh and timber. On this hill side they mad
. adcternincd stand, rcpelling our skirmisher:
; The head Of the column arriving at the NORTH
,, ern bank, Col. Leg here placed lis gun an
rounds opened the hill side to our skirInisher
J who rushed up to it and drove the enemy
: mile, where he made smother more determine
, and, as it proved, final stand The co1um
! moving over, the gun was again planted Oh a
! open slore, and prepared 10 open fire.
Not anticipating amy serious demonstration
! while the gun was being placed in position
, your correspondent gallopcd forward Il hu1
l dred rods to a house to witness the effects I
. the she'll. Hardly had our gun opened brfo1
> fun retcl battery replied, and dropped soil
Z shot, grape and canister. in rapid succession
: before, behind and all about US. At least
y hElldNd d shots were fired beforc there was an
cessation. This was more than had bargainc
. for. aud although I had double log hons
!. and brick chimney between me and the she
Il which we're exploding sn ticrccly around lit
!, WAS by no means ii ease. and took the tr:
= = opportunity to galo1 to the fear and out {
range.
!. TIE STAND OF TEE REBELS.
: While This cannonading was going on. i
front were heard rapid. heavy and cusltluuOr
! soilies Of nlusketry. 1t proved that or Gi
). mounted skirmishers. moving slowly over
+ low piece Of ground, driving those Of tn. en-,
I my. were suddenly confronted by long doubl
!, ii,:cs Of infantry, which rose from the groul,
+ where they had been concealed, snd rourc
= yollry after yolley Of m11sketry into urrank
= Our skiFmishers of course fell back precip
y lately, save those whose dead and wountlc
bodies lay before this. fearful fire. Meantim
n tic cncmy's battery was sending its 1ie1
;, messengers into ourmidst, Two shell burstiu
= within ten feet Of our gun. Tic rebels liz
a our range exactly, and served their bate,
J. admirably.
J., THE RETHOGADE MOVEMENT.
d | Al once Colonel DicAey and Lee di:eoyere
) | that the position was nntcnablc. and that
l. force far different il character and strengs
C from any they had anticipated was attackIn
d | lie, and that u retrogTade movement must I
executed and speedily Flanking parties al
&C SklrmlSHeTs were 1T once called in and sen
S back. and slowly the gun with its support
l. dismouDtca rifles moved backward T1
IS squadrons Of the 18th Illinois cavalry, und
&c | Captain Townsend, were left in front to del:
is tie advance of the enemy.
It Hardly had our gun crossed the valley NJ
# reached the position from which we ha
l. first fired, when our advance and pr
= tecting sQuadrons followed us, drive
r. before the encmy's infantry. who We
Il charging forward with cheers and veil
&c The gun was placed in the old position
!, On one side were deployed several compani
.oF% IL j. ~