American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-01-02
The Affair at Holly Springs.
LARGE QUANTITY OF STOKES AND COTTON
DESTROYED.

LARGE QUANTITY OF STOKES AND COTTON
DESTROYED.
From the Memphis Argus. Dec. %
Various rumors OF Confederate dash
into Holly Springs, Miss. on Saturday
have been afloat in this city during the
past forty eight hoars. We have moth
ing official of the affair. but from gem
tlemen just from the South we obtain
the suhjoined statement
On Saturday morning. at tive O'Clock.
Gen. Van Dorm, in command of con
siderable force ofJackson' s cavalry. made
a dash upon Holly Springs. capturing the.
entire federal force at that place which,
according to the statement of gentle
man who Witnessed the raid. amounted
to fully three thousand.
1t was known TO the Confederates that
Holly Springs was the depot for most of
Gen. Grants commissary stores, and by
making a bold dash upon the place and
destroying them, it Would Inconvenience
Gen. Grants army no little. So Van
Dorm undertook the task, and, from sew
eral sources we learn. was entirely suc>
cessfnl. He came into the place at an
hour when the troops least expected it.
and opened Ere upon them upon the
square-kiliing. according TO our Inform
ants statement. over two hundred The
suddenness With which the Confederat-s
spraug upon them while asleep, created
much confusion and CONSERVATION, and
it was some time before they could re-
turn the FIRE. Our informant states that
Van Dorm lost only three men killed and
several wounded.
The Federal troops soon surrendered and
were paroled many of whom have arrived in
this city. Among the prisoners taken was
ex Governor Wood, of Illinois. who has been
specializing in cotton in the rear OK Grants
army.
After the prisoners were paroled. the Con
federates setto work destroying the United
States property. Two hundred and twenty
odd wagons were burned aud all the mules
sent off TO Dixie. The large warehouse in
which the commssary stores vas kept was
fired and burned to TIE ground. together with
its contents. valued at half million of dol
lars.
A large amount of cotton which had ac-
cumulased there, probably four thousand
ment existed in The town during the fight,
and it is reported that the citizens fred from
their windows upon the Federal forces, kill
ing quite number of them.
Mr.. Chas. Fox was the provost marshal of
Holly Springs. He was paroled.
After Van Dorm had accomplished the OBJ
ject of his visit to the place, he put out to-
ward Grand Junction, Tenn. Gen. Van Dorm
has been made chief of cavalry of the Con-
federate forces in the West. He was formerly
Major of cavalry in the United States service
previous to the war. He will, no doubt,
make more of a reputation a commander
of cavalry squad than Of corps COM
mander. Van Dorm it is thought will join
Gen. Forrest.
FEDERAL REPoaTs FROM MIssIssIrpf-
As specimen Of the reports sent To the
North from this section, We give the fol-
lowing from q special to the Chicago
journal:
The forces which left Helena to cut off
the rebelretreat from Abbeville, Missis-
sippi. was not so large as stated yesier-
day. II consisted of ten thousand infant
f y under Hovev, and two thousand cav
airy under General Washburne. 1t left
/ Friar's Point, on the Mississippi. on Fri
day. On Saturday night it bad reached
the mouth Of the Coldwater. where the
infantry remained. General Washbnrn
then posted ahead and struck the railroad
| i've or six miles north Of Grenada. where
he destroyed two bridges and the track
He did not proceed to Grenada but fell
back to Hardy station. where he again
Idestroyed.a portion of the road. and a
portion Of them returned to the mouth Of
the Coldmater On Tuesday he again
went to the railroad. near Pamela. and
destroyed long trestle work and q
bridge.
Several persons have reached Mem
phis who left Grenada On Tuesday. They
deserted. There was melt +, prevent