Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-11-11

WY MoRGAE's LAST CAMPAIGN WAS UNDERTAKEH.-
The Atlanta Ccnederacy publishes interesting pri-
vste letter, written the l9h ult from L. Col Aston,
Mo CAMS chief Of staff to Hon. A. d. hagIath, Of
Charleston. We make the following extract:
Isuppose your friendly interest in me will make you
vish 10 know something of last ip-Why we start
cd on what appeared 30 foosn an unkertaking TnAt
vere its reeuIts &C. ABOUT the latter part vi jane
General Morgan learned that Gen. Burnside vas pre-
narine formidable expedition into Est Tennessee, and
had portion OF his forces ut jamestown
and Somerset Kentucky, together with very large
amount OF army stores even long iorSge for horses,
large trains Of wagons &C., at the latter place. 1t then
became very important 10 produce dversion OF this
force n order TO prevent flank movement on General
Bragg who was then At Tubahoma, aud also 10 allow
OF all our available force in front OF Rose
cians Gen. Morgan eqleniiy sought Add obtained
frtm Gen. Bragg perm ssion to take Two thoutaud
n cked men In this expedition. We started on the 2Sih
dsy of June for the borders Of Tennessee In drenchng
rain and arriving Woliss river, found it so much
srojlen that We were Obliged to swim It with portion
of our forces The few wagons containing ammunlliNn
to pieces aud crossed in canoes no other
transportation being avalible Obey river WAS crossed
In the same manner We got over IN taley, with the
Ioss NJ oplv one map aud q muls drowned. Cumber.
land river was reached the LIST OF july. Here We
fonnd all means Of transportation had been destroyed,
and Gen. Morgan Was obliged 10 have anumbtr OF boats
built.
hours and hs men and equipments crossed during that
night The horses were made 10 swim. Here We also
found The enemy OIL the opposite shore annoy and
our crossing but We soon drove toen oack and
bv IL O'Clock of the I'd July We were all In the saddle
on tie north bank of the Cumberland and in pretty
GOOD order Our men full of hope and enthusiasm
and really believe could have whipped three times
their numbers on that cay bri. ade of Yankee cava
r, came down to meet US but soon drove the back,
aud camped Quietly about tea miles from the By
this time our force had increased to about 2OO0 by
rAggers coming up, who were eager to go Along for
already IL was whispered that we were bound for the
north of the Ohio and none wished to be left behind.
From this point we had TO fight way, literally fight
our Way until the Of the month, when the command
GRO, sed the Ohio river.
Burnside becoming alarmed, for fear OF formidable
invasion of Kentucky under Buckner-for we had re
rorted ourselves as his advanced guard-puI his whole
force on our track and moved all Of bis suIpes back
10 Camp Dick Robi.son. l., ore was just rs safe
10 90 forward rs return, and principal Office
waa 10 keep any troops employed aud for as Icing
a time az possible in order TO give Gen. Bragg time TO
make good his retreat to Chattanooga The strategy
succeeded and instead OF Burnside reaching Knoxville
by the of July be did get there actil about the
OH .ptember The object OF our expedition, there
fore was partially accomplished and it was worth the
sacrifice Of all We lost which was about fifteen hundred
men and horses and two pieces OF artillery Alter the
command got Into luulADh, hltuOubu
bers Of militia perhaps 25 O00 were soon mustered to
oppose us they Always ID AT our approach, aud do
moi think constituted any great obstacle TO our pro-
yress The regular troops IN our rear We
easily out-traveled and the entire success oil
the raid would have been accomplished but for the
prscedented depth Of the river which was seven feet
hgher than it had been known for years. Gen. N. de-
sroyed great deal Of public property but the amount
burned by tho order Of Gen Burnside think, must
have greatly exceeded what Gen. n. destroyed. Capt
Berry one Of our Captains who was taken prisoner on
Island No. H. and brought to Louisville aud thence by
river TO Cincinnati says he sec at least 20 transports
loaded with hay, on fire at one time.
All the fiery bosts from Phtsburg to Louisville we're
either sunk or burnt and everything removed to pre-
vent our making use of it. Cincinnati was put under
martial law, and also Louiayi e, aad river navigation
suspended by military orders. In fact, Gen. NJ, who
passed around Cincinnati, within ght miles OF the city,
might easily have taken the place. all the troops had
been sent away. This | know, for l WAS prisoner
there at the time aud ladies' informed that the City
Council had agreed, in case he came to ransom the
place by paying three millions of dollars, and putting
the command over tue river.