The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-09
Up the Tennessee to Eastport. Ala.


z TENNESSEE RIVER, April SO, f863.-The
steamers Autocrat, Diana, Baltic, B. j.
Adams, John Raines and Eairehild, with
the Marine Brigade, and the transports J.
T. McCombs, Delaware, J. Zetta, Baldwin,
Nashville, Poland, Hazel Dell, la Cross,
Fitzhugh and Aurora, with Col. ,Straght's
Provisional Brigade, consisting Of three
command of Gen. Ellet-left Pstducah, KY,
for the Tennessee river to aid Gen. Dodge,
who was camped on Beat River, Miss,
about ten miles from Passport Miss. At
Fort Henry, the gunbOats Coventry and
Argosa, joined the fleet as conveys. At
CerrO GOrdo we found about 30 refugees,
who had been driven from their houses by
the guerillas on account of their Union sem
tments. They consisted of families of
men, women and children. They had es-
capped across the river in small boats. They
had very little to eat, ard could not get
home after more, although some lived only
two miles from the river. That morning
they had been fired upon across the river
by the rebels. Gen. Ellet sent the cavalry
attached to the Marine Brigade, with some
of the refugees as guides, across by land
from Cerro Gorda to Savannah. with in
structiOus to arrest all the rebels that had
helped drive out the Union people. About
dozen were taken prisoners. All the Sc
cesh were living quietly in their homes,
while the Union people had been forced to
leave everything and escape the best way
they could. They have fights every day.
One Of the guides said that when a rebel
and a Union man met, it was death 70 one
or the other Of them. Some of them have
lived neighbors for years.
At Hamburg, Tenn. we found about
thirty more refugees, who had been driven
away. They all wanted To 20 North, and
we told them we would take them as we
returned. On arriving At Eastport, Miss,
we found that it would be impossible to
proceed any higher up. as the river was
quite low and still falling. Col. Straight
disembarked his men. His Provisional
Brigade" is intended to be self-sustaining,
and was sent out by Gen. Rosecrans. On
the way up they made several raids and
took all the horses and mules they could
find. When any were takenfrorn, Union
men, a receipt was given. They left East
port, Miss, with about J, 200 mules, of all
ages, kinds and conditions. Nearly al the
mules were used to pack stores rom a sack
of coffee to O box OF ammunition. IL -'e.
Gen. Dodge had an engagement with the
rebel Gen. Rodey, and has driven him be-
yond Florence, Ala. ] have nor heard the
loss, but his dispatch said he bad some Sc
we're fighting. .....r ..
The residents, as general thing, along
the river, are lazy, indolent set, and as
long as they can raise enough pork and
corn, are satisfied. There are some excep-
tons.
Some Of the refugees going down have
left very fine farms. One man left his farm,
where he has resided for over twenty years.
He has it under fine state of cultivation,
and has over 100 acres planted this year, but
he had to leave it, with n large amount Of
stock. @ -sss a.E
The women nearly all chew tobacco.
was riding through Waterloo, Alabama,
and stopped at q house to make some en-
;.;o or CT fT for
tobacco. gave her some smoking toDac-
co daniels best), bat she said she wanted
n "chaw.' I referred her 70 friend who
chaaped. who passed bis ping around. The
whole family used it from the mother to q
little child six years old. ,.,.sr
On Sunday, as the Marine Brigaae we're
mon at Duck River by WOodWard's rebel
gang of 500. Gen. Ellet landed, and pur-
sued them II miles: Thirteen of them
were left dead, including a MAJOR White
/ QUINCY d.