The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-07-18
nIorgsp's DIpsaluon
CROSSING gHg CUMBERLAND.

lsPecl&l Correspondence Of lhe Atauta COniQder8cE
ALEXANDRIA, IESN June 18Th, 1863
MEasRs EDiTom AFTER the fight at Horse
Shoe Bend, which occurred on The 10Th Of
May, m which we punished the yankees very
severely and drove them across the CumberS
land, Gen. Morgan removed his forces 10 Rus
sell county, KY, where he could obtain forage.
and remained thore mnhl tho 9Th inst, when
4 we received orders to remove without delay
70 this place Al lhat time there was every
indication oi an advance on the part of Roas
Grams, be thinking, no doubt, thar Cen Bragg's
army had been very much weakened by send
ling OFF reinlor9ements 70 Cen Johnston at
Ficksburg.
General Bragg has certainly succeeded in
mot only decelvng Cen Raeecrans az to his
movements and The strength Of his force, but
eyeH i,is own troops, and | will venture the
opinion that there are large numbers of his
own officers who are unable 70 decide whether
ne has sent of more troop than he has re
ceiyed am not disposed 70 euogze any
man on account OF bis position, and nothing
has occurred 10 change my opinion bnt fact,
which have come unGer my own observation.
and ! think it but fair and just wnen mau
feels that he has been wrong to acknowledge
! it. Since Gen. Morgan has been lied up lor
the last four months, and much that he might
have accomplished has been prevented on ac
count Of his being obliged 10 act under orders,
yet the safety Of the army az Tuahona may
have required the concentrating OF oar whole
cavalry lOrce on tho trout aud on the flank Al
any rate the result has been that nearly slX
months elapsed since the b-ule Of Murhees
boro, when Cen Rosecrans telegraphed thai
he would drive us to Chattanooga and he ie
still behind his entreuchmente, (The orde
comes to saddle up and must postpone th.
finishing Of this for the present.
On THE CUMBERLAND, July lst, 1863 /
This is the first opportunity have had Il
resume this letter. An order came for ou
regiment to crosB the Cumberland and capture
the mai between Gallatin and Carthage. aIloa.i
ing the advance guard to escape to Cartilage
aud showing no more men tfan were neceasa,.
Try, The result would be that the C0mmandaui
al Carthage, supposing us to be merely small
party, would send out al his cavalry to calchl
rs We, in the meantime, we're 10 remain nl
ambush with regiment below aud one above
aud when the enemy had arrived in front OF.
our regiment we were 70 open fire. while the
other two regiments closed in aud captured
the entire party aud cnt them off from CarIhs
age At the SAM time toe other regiments OF
our division were 10 move into Carhagp
These plans were all arranged. Our regiment
attacked the mail, capturing it together with
Ia fine suffers wagon and an ambulance and the
entire party guarding it except The advance
guard, which were permitted to eecapc. w
c0ntinned in ambush that night aud until &
1'ciDc,; the next morning, auXiously awaiting
the approach Of the enemy, when 10, 10 our
terrible disappointment an order was received
fran Gen Wheeler to re GROSS the river aud
proceed 70 another point. Reluctantly our
men yielded 10 the imperious order, rs we ieit'
that after 80 much iaugue and watching il was
ven y hard to leave the object Of our expedition
on lhe very eve OF its realization, We had
sclrGny crossed the river when scout thai
bad bcen sent oul reported the ehemy a t50a.
sand strong coming euC to seek uq Imagined
our regret at the prlz we had losr. IL waa
the universal desire OF the command that Gen
Morgan would rescross the river and captur4
this party but lie regarded his orders ar posi-
tive and continued his march AS drectods
Thus was the renegade, Bill Stokes, allow
10 eecape uS The trap was properly set, but
when tie bird took the bait no one was theroI
to pull the trigger.
After TWO days OF very severe mlrching iDJ
a heavy rai0 we arrived at Obey's river bat
found it impaseable, being over twenty feet
deep at the usual fo ds. Here was an appar-
emily insuperable dilliculty--a swollen river
in our front and only small dug OUT to trans.
port us. Nothing however is impossible To-
determined will, and orders were at once Civ.
en- to take the wagons TO pieces and carly them
over by piece meal, while the men were order
ed to swim their horses We reached The op-
poste bank in SAFETY and arrived at the Cum
Derland river on yesterday, only to find a cons
plOation OF dlficulties--no food for men or
horses deep river, no boals and still raining
with but iitte prospect OF air weather Gen,
Morgan however, is determined on crossing,
and has accordingly made arrangements to
have a number Of boats built, sad ~ ihis time
tomorrow we hope to be in the United States
Small parties Of tho enemy are on lhe otnerI
side TO oppose our crossing, but have eve VI
confidence that we will accomplish t. When
onco over and day'a rest and plenty of for~I
age we will bid defiance to our pursuere,
Gen Morgan viii fight only at such tines as
no thinks proper, having, IN his previous ca
reor, never had but two battles forced on aim
don't like 10 vouch OF what we will do orI
expect to do This Is 100 much like the Yam.
KEGS, but win cay this ! feel more c3n6.
deuce and build greater hopee on this exped
ton than any VIZ have ever undertaken
hope the authoriiies, who have permitted us, all
our earnest request, 80 make it, may not have
cause 70 regret the permission
win write you again the fret opportuni.
ty
SEMIsOCCASIONAL.
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False Knmora--rhe Real situation.