Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-05-14
An Expedition into Georgia.
Col. Strdight's Ecpedition-Hs Objects
= Rebel Reports IF its Fate.
MURrREEsRono TENN Nav la
Of tue Cincinnati Gazette.

"o"nbbobOuO lENN., may ~.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gazette.
Concerning mn expedition which left here
April 7th, iinder command of Col. A. ID.
Straight, of the list Indiana, the legitimate
corresponding of the press have been strict.
y and discrcetly silent. Secrecy and celer-
ity were the principal elements upon which
the expedition depended for success, and
hence even in my private letters to you
torchpre to say one word upon the subject,
lest by some chance MY letters might fall
into the hands Of the g,emy. S.As the fate
of the expedition is now, however, pretty
definitely known, the obligation of secrecy
is removed.
Col Straight took the regiments named
hereafter; went to Nashville; had por-
tion or all of his command mounted there
on horses and mules; embarked Oh board a
steamboat, and proceeded down the Gum
berland and up the Tennessee, and joined
the forces commanded by Gen Dodge for
ah'expedition into Alabama and Georgia. =.
From other sources you have full detalt
of the history OF the expedition up to the
time when Courtland in Alabama was occu
pied By our troops. The capture of Tus
cumbia. alarmed the rebels very much, and
it was known heie two weeks ago that For.
rest had gone from Spring Hill, with all his
cavalry, for the purpose of stemming the
tide Of invasion which was rolling up the
Tennessee. Some of us then had sad fore
bodings as TO what might be the fate of the
little band which we knew had plunged un,
supported and alone into the very heart oI
the rebel dolninions; yet if Col Straight
could succeed in destroying ithe bridges
at Decatur and Bridgeport, at Rome, owe,
the Coosa, and the arsenals and public build
ings at Rome and at Canta, we felt that We
could afford the capture Of him and his gal
liant band.
The Chattanooga Rebel OF May 7th i.
before me, 4 allow it to tell the story from
tho time Of Forests departure from Middle
Tennessee. Its statement evidently contains
many exaggeratiofM, errors and falsehoods
but It is at present the best we have:
Gen. Forrest with bis old brigade, con
slstlng OF his own original regiment, Starnes,
Bifties, and Edmondson's regiments, with
six pieces pf artillery, twenty. five hundred
strong, lett Spring Hill on Friday, the 24ti
of April, to go to the assistance OF Col. Rod
dy, who was holding large force of tht
enemy in check at aud beyond Courtland
Alabama. 81"
1.-THE column, with Forrest at the head
moved rapidly southward through Giles Co
to the Tennessee, and crossed at Bro wn'
Ferry. On Tuesday Forrest came up will
Roddy at Town Creek. small stream in az
open, Hat country, studded with under
growth, few miles beyond Courtland, IL
the direction Of Tuscunbia Here the,
united commands, attacked the enemy il
force, believed to be ten thousand strong
ander Gen. Dodge, with cavalry, artillery
and infantry. The >artillery firing ceasec
about three in the afternoon. Occasiona
skrmishing with small arms wound VI. tn,
engagement Of the day. At dark Forros
fell back to Courtlaud and threw out picket,
on all the roads leading into the town. l,
the meantime force of mounted infantry
two thousand strong, under Col. Straight
had gone round gourtland, IS II designing
to get in tho,ysar Of Forests force. Mex
morning sany Forrest started in pursuit o
this party, leaving q portion OF Roddy'
command Ia Uourtland. Straight and hi
men, instead Of attempting to get in hi
rear, wore really on an expedition to Cen
tral Georgia, and were already one hundre
miles away in that direction. The fore
overlook him ,nt Dayton's Gap, in the SAN
mountains Of Alabama, on Thursday. Her