The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-05-27
Correspondence of the Pcrrysburg JcurualJ
Letter from the lSt Middle TcnneS-
see Cayalry-Brilliant SkirmiSh.
CAMr AT CRIPPLE CREEK, EIGHr !
NItrs EAST OF MURFREEsBoRo, Tenn,
Nav Ia, 1863.

MAY II, 1863.
Eps JOURNAL. reported at this camp for duty,
two weeks ago. found the First Middle Tennes-
see Cavalry somewhat divided into detachmcnts-
Companies A, b, &, | and X at Carthage and
at this camp II at Franklin, acting Us escort to
General Granger; ID and 4 (Alabamians) were
sent with an expedition commanded by Colonel
Straight into Alabama. We have Information
that the entire expedition has boon captured near
Rome, Georgia. After fighting Tor three days, their
ammunition became exhausted, and they were
compelled to surrender.
You may rest assured they have made good
fight. | find that ever since the battle of Stone
River our cavalry have whipped them whenever
they have dared to fight. Our boys depend mainly
on their sabers, the rebels having but few sabers
and revolvers. After making one fire, generally
from ambush the rebels don't get time to reload,
until our boys are after them, often without firing
at all, and generally kill and capture number of
them, frequently without losing a man. Many
times they pursue them too far, General Palmer
says the Tennessceans don't know when to stop
pursuit. We are within ten miles of a consdora
bic force Of rebels, and we make scout in front
every day, and sometimes twice.
Nothing of interest, however, has happened since
my arrival, until this morning. About o'clock
some fifty men Of c and T were ordered out Capt.
worthum commanding. In short time, General
Palmer and his escort appeared, and all advanced
to the front-about eighty men and officers.
Some five miles from camp, the advanced guard,
under Lieutenant Smelling, received volley from
a cedar thicket not five rods Oft but not man was
hit. The Lieutenant and his men charged imme-
diately, and soon coming upon thcm, had II hand to
hand struggle, which pretty fierce for a few
minutes. In the fight the Lieutenant was nhorsed
and his horse got away but he held ON to his pris
oncr. About Thirty men chased them two miles
further when the General, hearing the long roll
beating in the rebel camp sent his Orderly to call
them back, remarking, "rhose TenneSseeans never
know when to stop" There were about eighty five
of them under Colonel Thompson, of the Third
Georgia Cavalry.
The result of this skirmish was TIVE Captains and
fourteen men taken; one man killed: and several
wounded are known to have escaped. Three or
four of the escort were wounded, and Lieutenant
Smelling bruised from the fall of his horse We
lost one horse killed and three or four wounded,
aud captured ten others. Private Isaac II. Miser,
of Co. f q lad Of eighteen, well mounted, charged
on their rear, cutting right and left capturing the
two rebel Captains and one private hisnseif Capt.
Workman cut two or three of them severely with
his saber. They acknowledged that they had laid
a tap for us, and were much chagrned when they
learned Major General was out with the men, and
they had failed in their object.
There is probability that our regiment will act
in small! detachments in front, while the situa-
ton" remains as at present. The value of men
who know the country can not be ovcr-cstmated.
Yours, truly, j. H. HORNBECk,
First Lieut.. Co. F., lst Mid. Tenn. Cavalry.