Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-10
WHERE IS MORGANP

A Louisville telegram of the 22d ult. an
nounced that Morgan had crossed the Cum
berland near Carthage with force of five
thousand men. The first record of his move.
ments since then appears in the following spe'
cial correspondence of the Southern Conted'
eracy" under date
SPARTA, June ~, 1863.
In my early youth there was couplet IN
that Juvenile classic, Mother Goose" which
often puzzled my infant mind. The long bid,
den meaning has ut last flashed upon me, and
I propose to cnlighten you and the world gen
orally with the explanation. The couples runs
| thus:
..Ths King OF France, With twenty thousand men,
Went up the hill. aud then went down again"
Which may be truly translated thus: THE
| King of Frunce, BRIG. Gen. John II. Nor
gan with twenty thousand men," with his
entire command, Went pthe hill, (marche,di
TO take Carriage, and then went down again, ~
| (iust as his troops were IN position and the
CAPTURE of the place vas certain, was ordered
! of on n wild goose chase.)
Having thus cleared up disputed and
cniglnatical literary point, permit me to give
YOU short account OF our expedition to Car-
thage and the proposed plan Of operations.
On tho morning of the Goth of June the
command left Alexandria, Gen. Morgan at
the head BY 6 o'clock in the evening I'LL the
troops had crossed the Cumberland and were
within four miles of Carthage. The troops
were in magnificent spirits. Everything
worked like Il charm. The enemy were IN to-
tai ignorance Of our proximity. All the dis
positions for the attack had been made, and
by o'clock A. NJ, June q, Carthage would
have been in our hands.
The enemys force amounted to about fifteen
or sixteen hundred effective men. Our force
WAS amply sufficient to have whipped double
that number. So confident were the men Of
success that they felt not only like the an-
Gent Roman that Carthage must be de-
struyed," but that Carthage was as good rs IN
their possession.
But have not yet told you all Carthage
having been taken and its stores, &C., disposed
of, Gullatiu was destined to have visit from
us.
Thera waa but a-small force at Gallatin,
only some five or six hundred men. Those
could have been easily disposed of, and then
We should have destroyed the railroad and
tunnel, and have placed the road out of run
ming order for at least three weeks. 10 fully
appreciate tho Importance of this move, must
inform you that, ut the present stage OF water
in the Cumberland river, supplies for Rose
cranz's army can only be transported by rail.
The railroad tunnel having been destroyed,
the army at Murfreesboro' would, consequent
ly have been greatly embarrassed for supplies,
and there is no telling what results mis- ht have
followed had this expedition been allowed to
proceed.
TO return 10 my "muttons," however. Just
as the evening was closing in, and We had
finished examining the Yankee mail and pris-
oners captured that afternoon, an officer Of
Gen. Wheelcr's staff rode up to Gen. Morgan's
headquarters and delivered n peremptory Or
der from the Major General commanding"
for us to set off in pursuit Of the Federal fprce
under Col. Carter, then striking for East Ten
ncssce.
We're you ever, Messrs. Editors, on tho point
of sitting down to an elegant table, abundant
ly supplied with Chicken fxins," &c, and
have scout to dash up and yell: the Yam
KEGS are coming after US like" Did you
" ever nurse young gazells," &c' If you
have, you can appreciate our feelings on the
receipt of tho above order. Think of it,
Here we were, nearly two hundred miles be-
hind the force we were ordered to pursue; no
information, whatever, in regard 10 them or
their movements, except that they were strik-
ing towards East Tennessee; besides, we know
that Pcgram and John Scntt were already on
their track, and if those energetic officers could
not catch them near at hand, what chance had
we, who were nearly 200 miles away, to over
take them?
On the other hand, here were Carthage and
Gallatin with ull their stores of every descrip-
ton ready to fall, like ripe peaches, into our
hands. Then, two, how could We face again
The ladies who had rushed out to meet US as we
marched up, waiving their handkerchicfs and
bidding US "God speed ?" On the whole. our
emotions were, BY no means, ofthe pleasantest
description.
The morning came, the orders to retarn
were issued, and with many o lingering look
and smothered oath we Quilted the prey al
most within our grasp, and started on what we
we'll knew would be o uselss chase.
The result of our ride to Carthage was q
mail, suffers wagon, some Is or 80 prison
ers, and deal of bitter modification and dis
appointment. May have Indifferent tale to
tell you when again write you of on expe-
dition Of Gen. Morgan's.
Very sincerely, yours in tribulation,
x
The question is sometimes asked, why is it
that Morgan, who had made volume Of glo-
rious deeds before the title page of Vince
ler's record 10 gallant one, too, was written;
who has given the most abundant testimony
of complete ability to- take care of himself,
who has killed more of the enemy with the
loss of fewer of his own men, than any other
cavalry chief in the land, should be left to
starve his horses among the barren:hillsides
of East Tennessee, when the long blue
grass" Of Kentucky, waving in the summer
wind, is reckoning them to rich rcpast on
their native soil; bridges waiting to be
burned, and miles of wagon trains ready for
the torch.
.eYS