The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-29
The Great Yankee Railroad Raid in
.Mississippi--.lIOw it was Executed.

| which have been heraldetl from Missis-
sippi has been disclosed A letter in the
Mobile 4drertiser from Oko'ona, the Goth
inst, gives the following narrative of the
raids, all tending to one point, and the
damage done. 1t says:
Al the latter end Of the past week General
Ferguson, commanding the raralty at This
point. asceriained that tive columns had sal
lied ott from Cornth the minor one passing
East in the direction of North Alabama, and
the more important one marching towards
the Mississippi Central railroad. Major Da
venport, with IA battalion, met The smaller
column, turned and pushed il back in the Vi
cinity ot luk;i Gen Ferguson having asccr
tanned this, obtained permission from Gen.
Rugglcs, Il! Columbus, to advance upon t.e
other column, prepared his command with
an alacrity which is deserving oi credit, and
on Monday pushed on towards oxford 10
disco, er the enemy, leaving here in bis stead
the fine Arkansas command Of infantry of
Gen. McNar, under the control oi Colonel
IIai per- an active and efficient officer
Intelligence OF the variUnS raids has been
eagerly sought bui not until this morning
had we learned anything trust wnrihy from
them. My informant leii Grenada on TUES
day, and brings IN interesting but unusually
painful budget III news. From his Statement;
il appears that in addition TO the forces from
Corinth, an additional column from Mem
phiS or Latirange, and still. another from VA
200 city, were i,ddeniy precipiiatod upon the
line of the Cenir:i! road by the enemy, for
The obvious purpose Of destroying au i'm
mense amount Of railroad property, inyaiiIa
bic 10 us, aud inaccessible 10 The enemy for
his own uscs.
The column from, Memphis encountered
ChaImer5s coiunla,.d in The vicinity al Pa
no'a probably Sunday or Monday, and
owing to ill., oyerpowering strength is re-
port e.i 10 have defeated that body, and il il
snrinisct, Captured Geu. Chalmers himself.
This accomplished, oar forces were driven
back through Grenade towards Canton, and
"a junction formed II the former point with
the Yankees from Yaz1o, when the destruc-
lion OF The valuable property commenced,
aud The object OF the ysrious expeditions
was fully accomplished, The da la.ec in
hc.ed cannot be easily estimated, or lis i'm
| meHse value even vaguely guessed IT.
When Gen. Beaurtgard retreated from
Corinih fifteen months since all The remain
| ing stock of the Memphis and Charleston
| road, both of engines, ears, aud nach:uery,
| were run down to Grenada by the Mississippi
| Central and Mississippiand Tennessee roads,
| which il served TO supply to the fullest eX-
| tent with all desirable rolling stock. In time
| the Mississippi and Tennessee road was, too,
| abandoned, and its rolling stock transferred
| to Grenada and Canton. Thus the stock OF
| To third When the enemy pushed us back
| from the river and defeated femberton ia
! the engagement II Bakers Greek aud Big
| Black and pushed ntO Jackson, the rolling
stock was Withdrawn from The New Orleans
| and Jackson and the Jackson and Nich3burg
| roads and forced on IN Canton under the
protective wing of Johuston throwing the
vast stock of these two latter roads together
| in safety with That oftlte former three. Here,
| then, we have accumulated, for safety and
from abandonment OF roads, the rolling stock
and machinery OF five Important railroads,
| viz: The Memphis aud Charleston, MisSis-
| sppi and Tennessee, New Orleans a'sd Jack
son, jackson aud Viclsburg, and Mississippi
| Central When Gen. Johnston was about to
/ move from Canton for the greater security
| ofthis inyauab!e property ii was sent further
| up the road to Grenada, and the vain hope
| seems to have been indulged in that the enc
| my were unaware of its existence or situa-
| ton, or careless OF its importance To our in
| tcrests. II Is difficult to conceive how such
a great oversight could have blinded the
| Confederate military authorities.
| In addition 10 the machinery, there were
no less than forty locomotives and several
| hundred cars rs.sseng aud freight, amount
| ing iu value to millions of dollars, pro-
perty invaluable and impossible to be re-
| placed until the end of the war, when IL can
| lend as no assistance in the one great object
| nave all ab uc-ift-Oui iuuC-
pendence The enemy appears to have been
| more fully aware OF its importance TO our
| interests than our own authorities. The
forces from four points We're TO concentrate
| at this Mecca of railroad interests, charged
10 destroy every vesiige of their utility, re
eardiess Of. risks incurred or advantages
otherwise lost. If three columns vert, me,
by disaster, a fourth was left for the one great
ACCOMPLISHMENT. Ii is difficult to look These
stern facts in the face without feeling o
bitterness and a sickeDing lamentatieI fol
such important aud irreparable idsses--
| rather, sacrifices.
When the Witnesses. OF the sad scene left
| the work OF destruction WIS still soing on
aud the names W~re ieaplng high In the al
from stare-hoases sroaaing heaeafh th'
weight oil Government stores. Fifteen ihlie'
from the scene the tl0odred light of th'
conHagrafian siiii g!rame,i ia the ssrfowin
| eyes tf the observers. Not before tnssiAl
has Gen. Lee beensaiie Ia concentrate ht
| cavalry aud threaten the yaHdals- Ferguson
should have been within striking. distahe'
Yesterday, but his command viii prove ana
HE to cone with such 4 force as tiaa. s'li-sn.
\ has. Thus. IL will be seen thai they have ia'
| three uninterrupted days Ia complete th
work Of demolition
(,en. Stepen d. Lee should receive no cen
snre fur this tiisgraeefni affair, since hss onl
, | assumed command 0f the cavalry furess ol
the nth. and had not yet had time 10 e.
them fnliy In e0mmand in fact, cavalry M
not adedllate to the Important charge, au
infantry sh.stild have hrsii held iar In i'ssl
!. tection-