The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-16

the entire march with the main body, and
returned without accident. The roads
streams considerably swollen. During the
whole time Gen. Stonemau has had no
communication with Gen. Hooker's army.
Cor. N. Y. Tribune.
-1.=-E 1-D aHFss f-t.ss1
Colonel Straight's Expedition 10
-a~ Georgia.
MURFREEsBoRo', Tenn, May 10, 1885,
Concerning an expedition which left here
! April 7, under command of Colonel A.. d.
Straight, of the 5lst Indiana, the legitimate
correspondents of the press have been
strictly and directly silent Secrecy and
! celebrity were the principal elements upon |
which the expedition depended for success. |
and hence even inmy private letters to YOU
l forbore saying q word upon the subject, |
| lest by some chance, my letters might fall |
into the hands of the enemy. As the fate |
of the expedition is now, however, pretty
definitely known, the obligation of secrecy
| is removed.
Col. Straight took the regiments named
hereinafter, went to Nashville, had por-
| ton OR all of his command mounted there
on horses or mules, embarked on board
/ steamboats, and proceeded down the Cum
berland, up the Tennessee, and joined the
+. forces under command of Gen. Dodge. for
an expedition into Alabama and Georgia.
| From other sources you have full details of
the history of the expedition, up to the time
when CORTLAND, in Alabama, was occupied
l by our troops. The capture Of Tuscunbia,
4 Alabama, alarmed the rebels very much,
and it was known here two weeks ago that
i Forrest had gone from Spring Hill, with
i all his cavalry, for the purpose OF stemming
the tide OF invasion which was rolling up
the Tennessee. Some of US then had sad
forebodings as TO what might betal the lit
tie band which we knew had plunged I'M
supported and alone into the very heart Of
rebeldom. Yet, if Col Straight could sue
coed in destroying the bridges at Decatur,
at Bridgeport, over the Coosa, and the ar
senals and public buildings at Rome and
Atlanta, we felt that we could afford the
} capture of him and his gallant band
, The Chattanooga Rebel of May 7th is be-
, fore me, and I allow it to tell the story
from the time of Forests departure from
y Middle Tennessee. Its statement evident
!, ly contains many eXaggerations, errors
and falsehoods, but it is at present the best
e we have:
Gen. Forrest, with his old brigade, con-
t sisting of his own original regiment,
: Starr's. Biddle's and Edmondson's regi-
e ments, with six pieces of artillery, $500
e strong, left Spring Hill on Friday, the
< oath Of April, to go to the assistance of Col
S Roddy, who was holding a large force OF
n the enemy in check at and beyond Court
e land, Ala. The column, with Forrest at its
t head, moved rapidly southwark, through
1t Giles county. to the Tennessee, and cross
o ed at Browns Ferry. On Tuesday, Forrest
o came up with Roddy at Town Creek, 9
small stream in an open, flat country, with
n stUntea underground, a few miles beyonC
VI CORTLAND in the direction of Tuscumbia
IS Here they united forces, and attacked the
It enemy in force, believed to be lO,GO'
II strong, under Gen. Dodge, with cavalry
g artillery and infantry. The fight LASTED
lie several hours. The artillery firing ceased
q about 3 O'Clock i'll the afternoon. Occa
D. sional skirmishing with small arms wount
Of up the engagement of the day. At dark
n Forrest fell back to CORTLAND, and threw
10 out pickets on all the roads leading INT
IN that town. a---~
re In. the meantime force of mounted in
ut fantry, 1900 strong, under Col. Straight
I'd had gone round CnuItland as II desiring I
get in the rear of Forests force. Mex
e. morning early, Forrest started in pursui
lie of this party, leaving portion OF hoady
r command in CORTLAND. Straight and nj
m men. instead of attempting to get IN III
re rear, were really on an expedition 10 cen
n trail Georgia. and were already 100 mile
e, away in that direction, when Forrest over
s. took him at Dayton's Gap, in the. san
mountains of Alabama, on Thursday
an Here an engagement occurred ana Inc en-
II, emy were driven forward with loss
lie forty killed and wounded, and few priS
s. oners About six miles further on, the eI
h. emy was again overtaken by Starne an
h Biddle's regiments, and another brush {
as half an hours duration occurred. In
IL enemy were again driven forward, ana wv
IS pieces of artillery taken from Col. Rodu
,leI at Town Creek were recaptured. In th
n fight eighteen Yankees were struck dow
On by one discharge OF our artillery, Ifol
ia, pieces playing upon them. -
oy ! Fifteen miles south of this point our me
hit again came upon the enemy in ambush, an
all another fight ensued-or, rather, our boy
nd hon from their ambush by a VlgO
ge Gus charge Indeed, it was one successlc
ii, ! of bold and desperate charges upon amO'
scade Yankees for thirty miles, until the
as were finally captured. Next day the I al
ID KEGS were overhauled at Blanchardsvill
ge from which they were driven forward
he before with the loss of three killed. Twel'
I'll. wounded prisoners and negroes and ca
XIV t,,red at Fanon and at points all along Il
ice route. -g.
General Forrest still pursued close upt
III their heels the Yankees burning brldg
an behind them as they fled. The bridge ne
ri, Gadsen was destroyed, but the enemy we
he driven from the town before they had tin
ter to destroy anything in it. Citizens cou
ar scarcely realize that the invaders we
he Yankees, and on seeing them for the N
ar Itime. invariably took them for Confede
On. ates.
NJ Nine miles beyond JadseH, our III
re- arain came upwith the enemy in ambus
The and a fight ensued,. when a Yankee ~
lis Hathaway, a Captain, and several other {
Wis ficers were killed. The iron works, a fl
va miles further in the interior OF Georg
nc were set on fire by the Yankees, sbut On
Ian partially destroyed. The Yankees We
at finally overtaken two miles from Ced
viI bluffs and twenty -six miles from Rome
oos l.rrbeir advance guard, two hundred stror
80 had gone on towards Rome, and We
.hS checked two miles from that city, by arm
~ citizens. Forrest dashed upon the ms
~ body his force reduced by fatiiguing pr
, is suit. to 44O men. The enemy fired one
nnn two rounds from a little mountain how
yer. and short rife skirmish constitut
led all the fighting at Cedar Bluffs; Forr
de, coolly summoned the enemy to surrend
mn Col. Straight compelled. The conditic
hey being that the officers should retain tn
18th side-arms. The prisoners amounting to
non 700, were marched on mile before tn
a were required to stack arms, virtua
irst guarded by force of only one-fourtn tn
red own number. In reality, it was Forr
who was prisoner, but the Yankees neN