, 1863-05-20

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correspondence Of the New York Tribunc)
NEW OH1BAss. Sunday Evening, May o. 1868.
Sirce the departure Of the Columbia, We
have abundance Of news; the most exciting,
however, is the arrival at Baton Rouge Of tie
Gth and 1th Illinois cuTalrr, 800 strong, who
have cut their way through the whole leugth
Of Mississippi. They eta ted from LaGraage,
and leachcd Baton Rouge On tle evening Of
the I'd Of May, performing the whole dis
1ancr in sixteen days. They nude zirzag
course through the State, sometimes striking
cae, sometimes west. bpt pushing South the
whole time. In this way, they Travelled pr'b,-
bly, a0 miles, averaging over forty miles 4
I'd eighty miles in twcnty-cight hours, had
three encounters with the enemy, destroyed
two bridges, tore up the track, and swan two
rivers,
airy, Lieut.. Col. Loomis; the 7th Illinois cav
airy, Col. Ed. Prince, and six pieces Of artil-
lery, two-pouud calihre, the whole under
command Of Colonel Grierson, Of the 9Th 1lli
noi..
No language am master Of can properly
war; nor CAD VIC to-day estimate its value to
the cause. On their way from LaGrangc
down through the ce,tcr Of Mississippi, they
destroyed bridges, railroads, depots, gincs,
cars, rebel stores Of all kinds, and in immense
quantities. Their route embraced breadth
of more than twenty miles, and everything
that could be used By the rebels that fell In
their way WAS destroyed. The telegraph, too,
was cut in m immense number Of places; in
| fact, 50 complete vas the obstruction, and SO
rapid and mysterious their movements, that
| tue rebels were bcw,ldered, aud this baad Of
heroes we're in Baton Rouge before the rebels
| knew who they were, OF what they were, or
| where tLey came from,
But 1n1lst try and give you . complete
idea Of the expedition, and what 1t accosn-
plished. fou viii please remember THAT they
the cncmy's country. When they started
thcy had no more idea Of reaching Baton
Rouge than We here had Of seeing them
Some time siuce Col. Grierson planned an
expedition to go into tue interior Of Missis"
s1pri, and destroy railroads, bridges, stores,
&c, which plan was submitted to General
| Grant. At that time Col. Grierson's cavalry
was an unattached brigade In Gen Grants
army, and was stationed at La Grange, Tenn,
IN tue Memphis and Charleston raihoad, fifty
Of the junction of the Mississippi and Charles
| ton railroads.
The force at starting included the I'd Iowa
cavalry, Col Hatch, US we'll as the t;ti anu 7th
Illinois, already mentioned, comprising about
l 200 men. From L. Grunge they marched
north Of Ripley, in Marshall county. Mex
| morning the column moved to Ripley, whence
the I'd Iowa started for New Albany. a
Clear Springs, in Chicknsaw county, Colone
Hatch. with his command, started south
casterly to West Point, In LoWndes county
/ +1f1r {fart l1
Col, Grlesson heard nothing Of the I'd Iowa
except occasional rumors through the rebels
Near New Albany the Ta11ahatchic is cross
ed by bridge, where they first met signs q
the enemy. On the opposite side is stec
hill, which would have enabled few men t
e4argng on the bridge they threw out ski
mishcrs, and fortunate enough they did, fl
5 | they found the bridge partly destroyed. I'll
rickets were driven of, and the skirmishc'
rejolned the main coiumn lower down, Ehc
= the whole force entered the town.
y They then moved on Pont0toc, where thu
destroyed some salt, the camp and garriso
$ egnipage Of 4 cavalry company, and also
! gunsnlith's shop. A mail from the post ofht
was secured, and also i large quantity OF ont
On the morning Of the 20lh, about It's .
D the men who were the least effective. wit
= some prisoners, under command Of Ma1t
Love, we're sent back to L. Grange, with o
? ders 10 send scouts to cut the telegraph wir
!, 4 lev miles beyond starkyillc, tanner
II containing number of army boots shoe
d saddles, bIidlee, and large quantity Of leat
= mated ut S25, 900. In tie building they -four
r a negro chained to the floor, with IN iron Ct
70 lar round his neck, md there kept at work
" a punishment for running away. That n;
J. was brought through to Baton Rouge. II
= may be sure be is loyal to the old flag.
y IF yr{faa hrnurht the forces
81 Louisville, Winston county. Most Of. I
route lay through dense swamp, frequent
"a to tic horses bellies In water At one poi
80 it was 20 deep the horses swan over, a.
their ridere, They then pushed on to Phil
deiphia, Ncshoba county, where there Is
bridge over the Pearl river, which the reb'
is undertook ia destroy, hut thcy prec!pltatt
be fed Us our forces approached.
Later in the day, IL brigade under q
t. strike the railroad at Decatur, Newt
Y! county. Here they captured train Of
& cars, which was Just about starring, load
rs with quartermastcrs' and commfssaTy stor
o5 including ammunition and boom shells In lar
'so Quantities. They had scarcely secured Il t,
81 another train of Is cars. loaded with Eailrc
s5s ties, came into the depot, which was also
"a ass cured. Wood Wa piled up around the
* Cines and tenders, set fire to, aud by 4
l means LQE DultI uul6tr-LAE LulCA hAo 1lIp1
o7s to the train Of cars containing the amsnu
tion md about 5000 shells. When tn
pS we're fred, the main column was four or
ID ulilcs of, and the noise Of their explosion
them to suppose the rebels had opened
!. the advance column: They hurried on; :: i:
'fsS moved his battalion cast, and destroyed til
Isl bridges and lot Of tsessle.work, extend
Sin aver two miles, the track torn up, rails bro
.s62 ara burned, and telegraph destroyed for
,s@ miles.
,9l6 wagons, &c yoke Of oxen and . :sa-pound
- 1ott gun, we're captured. The gun was spill
~ Al Union Church. forty-two miles +
's69 Satchez and twenty from Port Gibson, q $
III mish occurred with Adams Alabama cays
a:s in whiyh several Of the enemy were wouu.
the rcet retreating to Port Gibson
At Brookhaycn Camp Of Instruction.
ress companies, under command Of Maj. 81
took two captains, one lieutenant, one
a's gcon and nineteen privates, prisoners
/ to also captured lot Of Mississippi rifles, MI
itan OK teams, 5000 worth Of commissary st<
49, and SCI 600 worth Of army clothing.
At the crossing Of Pearl river, Col II
lion captured q courier with instructions t
,ari- etroy all bridges, &c, which fortunate
ooa cnmstancc added somewhat to the safe1
the command.
7eTy At Hazelhurst, Col Prince Of the 7th
iiffi- nofs captured train Of abont forty cars,
t,,- / era1 Of which were loaded with shell and
rnunition, Another train, which had tu
ula' 1iTed. escaped By the backing out Of the
also By By Ii; the engineer before he could be captu
use. About four miles east Of Gallatin bait
gar. "as detacheo 70 staihe PHI. asat;on 1xhcTc
jane tanks, cars, and other property was de-
one. cd.
Lake Al Walls Station, on the !1cka", 2
seed ment Of rebel cavalry ~as 4tssy'e. e1,,
put Gs.e Ioueea WIZ W. 7.;,,.d md Avn wour
gs Of a1non5, Them va Iieutcuant Colonel F
d the burn, Of the 7th Illinois. He Was shot
ltelu- thigh, and slightly in the head nc W.
the injunction that If not kindly treated,
kAes' Ecnge.
Gov At Summit larre ,morct NJ Coverr
81, 600 sugar, wood and locomotives &c., we
stroyed. The camp Of Hughes md N1lt