Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-09
, !. The surprI.e a. HOLE sprinrn.

From the correspondence Of the Cincin-
natl Gazette we take the follor--e partic-
ulars of the disgraceful surprise and ,,.,==
render of Holly Springs;
The Colonel commanding the post
was about the first man captured. He had
| just turned out Of his bed, rubbed his eyes,
and turned around the corner to go to his
! quarters. Halt, thar 7 said trooper. He
was a little slow to obey. Halt thar
halt tharI re-uttered the trooper, and the
! Colonel was a prisoner. A large train Of
cars stood on the track, steam up, and
waiting only orders from the Colonel COM
manding' to leave for safe quarters; but
while waiting the forces took possession,
and one locomotive and forty-three box
cars were wholly destroyed, and another
locomotive very much damaged. They
proceeded at once to fire the large and ele-
CANT railroad offices, and the commissary
and quartermaster stores. 1t was needless
for the infantry to fight. They were out
numbered and surrounded, besides being
wholly unprotected by works and being
fred into while yet mostly in bed. They
surrendered Immediately. The cavalry
q move about midnight early after Gen.
eral Grants precautionary notice, and
then unsaddled after an hours waiting,
fought well for moment, and lost eight
Of their men and number of horses.
"The scene which followed beggars de-
scriptien. At times it was intensely
amusing, though too serious in its results
to laugh at. As the rebels entered the
town they had chiefly to cross bridge over
the railroad track. Their motley uniform
now with head stuck through old car
pets, riding the frame of an old horse
next covered with ragged blue overcost,
stolen somewhere from our dead or impris-
oned soldiers, riding a mnle-next, one
better dressed, having recently stolen a
new horse, now assuming the dignity of
an oficer-all yelling like Indians-all
gave the scene such a comic appearance
that even the victims had to laugh. Soon
the body broke into squads, each commits
stoned to arrest and bring in every man Of
Northern complexion. Halt, tharP was
heard in every direction, as some man not
clad in butternut made his appearance
Are you'ns Nortern men ? was the usual
style of question. Being answered in the
affirmative, the next word was, Fall in,
thar, double quick T and the victims were
trotted off at speed which proved exhaust
ing in many cases. Most Of them were
searched, and everything valuable taken
from them, even note of hand and private
memoranda, utterly worthless to the cap
tors, but valuable TO the captives.
The cotton buyers Jared variously.-
Some secreted the most of their money
others we're permitted to retain theirs
openly, while others were robbed Of money
and watches and everything. Butalas for
the suffers What the rebels left the
parolled regarded as confscated, and thus
between the upper and neither milestone
they are pretty well reduced to powder
The fate of Surgeon Grinstead Medical
Purveyor Of the post, is illustrative of one
phase of the performance: Halt thar,
you one-eyed feller said the rebel. I'm
a surgeon, said the doctor, and don't 60
prisoner Down thar, then, and swap
boots with me, or I'll break this carbine
over your head, said seeesh. No you
don't, said the doctor. I'D rather swap
boots, and down he squatted and changed
accordingly, adding that be hoped the rebel
would have az good time so'Ihl@ -I-iOhiHS
as he had had that morning.
By noon most of the stragglers had
been driven into line, and the work Of pa
rolling was going on east Of the railroad.
About this time the buildings on the pub
lie square which contained large quantity
of ordnance stores, were set on fire
They burned two or three hours, destroy
ing the best portions Of the town by fire
and the explosion Of shells.
. IL n 81 y,1y,y,
der began. But few private houses, and
but one store was left unplundered Every
man loaded himself and horse with boots,
shoes and clothing, who could have access
to the Quartermaster's Department, or the
store of the enterprising sutler. Even in
the face of their female admirers they
stripped of their old duds in the streets,
and donned our uniform. This, at times,
was an exceedingly amusing part Of the
play, both from the Eigofousness Of its
performance, and the moral it pointed.
Frequently our men, when, marching as
prisoners, were assaulted by women by
blows and insults, and it is not strange
that some Of our boys suspended their
moral lessons for the time, and finished
what the Secesh had begun. Perhaps a
due regard to the truth of history would
require me to say that after the rebels had
left, the guarded and unrobbed store was
opened speedily and sundry private resi-
denees were visited in true Secesh style.
Of course the men are now ashamed Of
these excesses, but it is urged that they
were only following the examples Of fSecesh
The papers in the public Offices are de-
stroyed, houses burnt fences destroyed,
and beautiful town, which was scarcely
marked by the first advance of the army,
is a perfect wreck, and mostly by the hands
Of their own friends. The fine houses,
from which insulting taunts and blows
had issued, are now used for hospitals the
families having been politely invited to
leave.
The loss to the Government is about
8, ,OOO 900 in stores, 1,500 prisoners, and
ten or twelve killed. The loss of position
is more than al"