Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-05-21

command Of Stuart's cavalry, fourteen oficerI
and eighty men, were captured. The mer
made very little resistance, retreatng to th,
river, whero they were surrounded
INCIDENTS.
II Ia almost impossible to give you anything
like q perfect sketch Of the sixteen dayB' march
Of this band of heroes. How they managed Ia
endure and hold out under the fatigues OF 90
long and perilous march through the enemy'e
countfy-living as they best could---Hleeping but
an hour or two as time, Ia one Of the mostre-
markable events In the history of wSrfare. In
comparison the deeds of Stuart, Jackson and
other Confederate cavalry, dwiDdle into the most
contemplate affairs-not worth speaking of.
At one place a number of old gray -headed
men came out to resist the cavalry with shot
guns, and fred several shots. No. shot Wss
fred in return. They we're surrounded, disarmed
and their weapons destroyed This very much
astoBshsd them; they had been led to believe
they would be killed, their homes DESTROYED,
aud every imaginable cruelty psspetrated upon
them But when they found the men of the
North were only fighting against efficient rebels,
they sGemed to wake up from delusion. They
then willingly gave our men what assistance
they conld, and one OF them undertook TO act az
guide.
The amount OF damage done 10 the rebels Il
ID difficult to estimate-nOta bridge or railroad
not line OF telegraph anywhere along the
whole route but what was destroyed. Horscs,
when necessary, were impressed to replace tho
EorDont ones, Only small stock Of proyisDDs
was bought along, SO that they had TO live on
the enemy, end tolerably hard fare they hsd
too. LsrRe numbers Of men offered themselyes
to ba parOed as n means OF avoiding the e0n-
ecviptiOn of the rebel officers.
hundreds Of negroes Joined them ss thew
came along, bringing, all one, sons tuO horses
or mules.
The success of the expedition could be shown
IN no moro palpable manner than the health of
the men. When they reached Baton Rouge, Of
ter sixteen dsys' ride with only one whole
nights ress, aud badly supplied with food, only
tWelVe men were turned over 10 the eurgeon.
Many OF the men suffered from sWelling OF the
legs and eFysipelaa, from sitting 90 long 10 the
saddle, bui 1t was only temporary
They had clever way of cutling the tele.
graph wires 40 es 20 avoid discovery Instead
ct entting the wires and letting the ends hang
loosely, they tied up the ends with strips OF
leather, go that it would not easily be seen, and
yet the connection was severed.
Fas Into the Interior they we're mIstaken for
rebel cavalry, and complimented upon the fine
ness OF their outfit. On more than ois occasion
they profted by this Ignorance.
To show what courage and daring will so
compheh, 1t is mentioned that they had uo.hinR
for their guide except one of Colton's county
maps and compass, The folloaIne il a list
OF counties through which they passed Start.
ing from La Grange, they frlt struck Msrshall
county, IN Mississippi, passing in succession
through the following oouhtieB; Tippsh, Pou.
totac, Chloka5aw, Oktibbehs, Winston, Noxu-
bee, Neahoba, Newton, Jasper, Smith, Smp
son, Copish, Lawrence, Pike and Amite, and
Helena and East Baton Rouge in Louisiana.
AT several points the enemy tried to catch or
surround them, but ln vain Thirteen hundred
cavalry were sent after them fr1m Mobile, A
thousand came south of Port Hudson, crossing
Pearl river at Columbia, and two thousand came
from the vicinity of Greenwood sOd Greuad a,
to cut off their retreat to La Grange. 1hey ali
tell TO the rear, supposiDg Coloael GrieTaon
would return
Some idea Of The pluck and endurance of
thesa men can be cleaned from tho tact that
during the last thirty houra-in which they had
ridden eighty miles, fought two or three skir-
miahes, destroyed bridges, camps, equipages,
ETC.; swan river and captured forty two pris-
oners and quantities Of horses-they had scarce.
~ halted at all, and went through these terrif-
io exertion5 Withous food for man or beast -
During the last night IL was observed that uess.
~ the entire column-WoTn out almost beyond
human e1durance-wers fast asleep upon horse.
back except when the shNrp report of car
oine told OF the nearness of the enemy. Aud
all this was endured without one word of mur-
mur or complaint from any lip, either of officers
or pfivstes.
The reception Of these heroes at Bstob
Rouge aud New Orleans was most enthusiastic