New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-05
From Our Special Correspondent.
uArnrERN. IL AMY GuRpa HE

ThuRTEEN1H Army CORPS. HKApQUARTERs
DEPARTMENT OP THR TRNNKssRR
HON. SPRINGS Mis-, Friday Morning, Dec 20 1907
On. week ago to-day our commute alton viii the
North v as interrupted, and last Saturday morning
tie raid under Gen. Van Dorn made upon this
to~n. aui proved to the Rebels a complete success.
Two 81 The last letters cent TO The TRIBUNE
were apssg the mails c4ptured by the enemy,
understand a. this place; and since that time Lave
been unable ~ Communicate with any portion of tie
United States Asa nail viii leave this morning
overland TO Memphis, profit by the opportunity 70
send you \ missivs. though presume al this late
date can furnish nothing new or interesting.
We have seen no papers or letters since those OF
the 18Th inst and have consequently enjoyed the
advantage Of every kind Of rumors possible, contra
dictory, probable, and impossible. We have heard
OF the fall Of VicksbuIg, Mobile, and Richmond Of
tremendous battles near Nashville and at Corinth,
snd-every conceivable story, until have grown
ekeptical Of everything that have no witnessed
with 10y own eyes.
OF course j, would be idle 10 relste the character
c. the information that has reached u.s. We know
nothing and have no expectations Of knowing ssy-
thing for several days, until the cars running
again between here and Columbus, Ky, which We
learn will be Uezt Sunday or Monday.
the statements yOu have received of the. raid
ppon Holly Springs must be very contradictory and
toaly uiarusiwo rthy, given sS they were tom
poia dist, ,nt from the of action, it would be
we'll perha vs. to review briefly the events ofthe
nem -abie Saturday.
Col r. C., Murphy, commandaut Of the post st
she III e, had been informed by telegraph the
preyioc. day Friday at noon that the Rebel cav
airy were apr ,aching Holly Springs, and advising
the Colonel to We on the alert. After IL O'Clock the
same njeht Gei Grant sent another telegram to
Murphy. saving Sbe following morning would be
snfcient lime to send out troop Of cavalry east.
ward to q, termin, ,she movements Of the enemy.
AT 4 o'clock { y Saturday morning Is fugitive
negro arrived at ,|s- Mrrphy's headquarters with
The information tba Van Dorm was advancing npon
,he town with 100 ps or 70 600 cavalry. Marphy
arose and rsraired The telegraph office near the
railway depot, and 'iI}e tbaTe communicating with
Grant. percey ID as,n spy as 5000 or 5000 mounted
..Confederstes draw "a up in line Of battle wthn
15O yards Of the station l
MURPHY went out at ree iuteniing to join small
force # infantry rear ie depot, but was captured
by the Rebels as =. was turning corner. He Gays
be had at the tx some three hundred effective
soldier only in tne town, snd most OF these we're
employed on pickle. duty, having cent the greater
mart of Lis available force 10 Jackson lwhere at
tack bad been threassneol the day previous TO the
Maid on tbs place
Considerable skiruiiihing Occurred between our
hsastu Of men aud the foe before the town was
fuI : possessed. Five or six Of men were
wou. Aed ani ten or twelve f the Southerners
hurt three orFour Of them it is said, fatally. Among
Gle Rssel wounded was oolonel. No other South
em oil GER was injured.
The eEemy, composed Of Texas, Mississippi, Ten
nessee AID Missouri troops, charged ibto the toVn
on borses and mules, yelling like demonsi went to
the stables and .ezoi all the bosses there frst aud
While part Of their force was engs ged the rest fred
che depot and the depot buildings, railway hotel,
nearly two sides Of the public squsTe, including the
best business houses In te place, and several ether
structures used by the Government foA'es.
The Rebels burned all the COTTON t'elonging 70
spa culators they could find, valued at 1000 Ose,
and such Of the stores they could rot carry away
They seized several boxes Of arms, and very large
quantity of army clothing, which they appropriated
10 hepas elves, casting off their wrecaed habiii-
ments sLj replacing them with the new National
uniforms.
They rode Up and down the streets, shooting ut
,er,ons before they demanded their surrender, and
sking all they met, citizens al welfss soldiers,
,risones, obtaining some 800 in ALL They plum
srod the saslers shops in which they were assisted
y tho ctizea,; burned three trains, With bsor0o'i