New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-09
Destruction Of the Mobile and Ohio
Xdilroad.
REPORT on COLONEL DlCKEY'S OPERATIONS
aAkGG'S COMMUNICATION WITH MOBILE CUT OFF,
HvApavARrsRs CAVALRY DIVISION

~ g. Grant commanding the department, tust Mo
order commanding me TO take part OF my division
Of cavalry and etrike the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
IA far south as practicable aud destroy it as nueh nc
possible was received about IL o'clock on the night
Of the 18th instant, q few miles east OF Weter
Valley.
Col. Hatch, commanding the ID brigade was or.
dered TO report 10 me at $3.50 a. Of the l4th with
800 picked men from his command properly Offered,
we'll mounted, well armed, aud with fifty rounds OF
ammunition, with rations Of hard bread ana salf'
and ready for six DAYS scout with no more wagons
than necessary to haul the ratlons. MAJOR Kicker,
with battalion of the 9Th Ohio Cavalry, was sent
10 the south from Paris to make demonstration
toward Grenada and the residue OF the I'd brigahe
sent with the train 70 the rear 70 camp w., "a
the Yockua River. Col. Mlsner was ordered 10
take command Of tne LIST and 81 briyades, To guaIa
the crosslogs of the Otuckaoia River, and To make
"a strong cavalry reconnaissance Toward "feh.as Oh
the ColIeoyille role, reporting direc ~ TO MSJor'
Gen. u. 5. Grant.
Atga. m. on Sunday the Ilth with q email escort
from Company +, iih Illinois Cavalry, under Lieut..
Carter. and Col Haich'r detAchm,nt Of ~ men
from the % Iowa Cavalry AID the Ha inioo's
Cavalry | took the r,nd for Okel)na, ana reacuea
Pontotoc, IS rules march, at 9:3) on MONDAY morn
luz On the way we fell in with small scouting
Dries of the enemy and captured several prsonsir,
BY some of whom were Informed that a oody q,
Rebel infantry from Bragg's army were enramPed
live II lies east of Pontoioc on the road u iupeo
md aaother near Tupelo; and by oiherr, Just TO-
nrned from Columbus, that there was strong
Rebel force at Oxolona. A small parry dashed on
on the Tupelo road five or Fix miles, but iodnd no
enemy. .,
Al Pontotoc, the gentle rain through which we
had marched changed TO violent storm. ana Tue
roads were heavy All our amDulances ana PRISON
ere were seut back from Pontotor, with two wagon
loads of e.ther, aud the Government surveys and
township maps OF the State OF Mississippi liodnd at
Pontotosl, under an escort Of lJO men.
Major Coon of the ~ Iowa Cavalry with aoont
100 men was sent rapidly forward TO stake The IA
road at Coonawa Station, north Of COloua, with
orders TO destroy the telegraph Ape and railroad,
and especially the railroad bridge north OF OaOlona'
AT | %. IN. on MOnGay, with the rest oi my COM
mand | took the road for InpeiO through u terrific
rain storm, and, moving steadily ior~arii n'eht
came upon W about Fix miles from Iupeo. Ine
approach WAS on "A Lg-zsg road, Win NeAlhS lnler-
scct1g roads, throngh low, muddy ground, nh'n oi
il heavily timbered. and in;errrcied 10y small slug
lsh strean, ~ssable only small. ffall bridges Ia
a condition. A atle afer dark The II sht Of con
ire was observed miles distant % the
south, aud lees bright but brcader light couii be
seen come miles to the north. A officer cent - Il
dwelling not far from our Toud was told ~ tie otcu-
Dan th.g these tres were Rebel camp ircs.
Pushing cautiously FORWARD, aI wIt1in two mle'
of lupeio we learned from The occupant OF house
near by (who misiOok ~ for Rcp-l ciya!yl That
Federal trOOnr from tDfiniu h.b tnAt DrTh u
salulo. eight miles north of TupelD, aud That the
Rebels uai nd ,olIh, lband ,niag fapelo.
Fearing that Major Coon mi4ht encounter too
strong foe, Lieur.-Col. Pnlce, 7th Illinois
Cavalry, with about "a hundred men, Was sent
promptly into lnpelD and the rect Of th" force was
moved back seven miles to point where the Abcr-
deem rod broke OF TO the south east and On which
was s.ccrta,ned that MAJOR Coon had advanced,
with view OF afording LINN support If nv dcd. Il
was found iua, MAJOR Coon lad da he'd into Coon.
ava in the afternoon, sta npeded small party Of
Re 81 clVilry took few piisDncrr, aud made -
f'renuOus bat unsuccessful eh,rt to eaptIes rail.
r0id train passing that station soaih. The tTtin
wac fret ulon by his advance on the full gallOp,
aud one trooper, lea, ing from his horse, PISTOL "a
baud, mounted the sile of The tender under way,
but comp. lied m promptly 10 jump oil to nyoid
leaning post standing close 10 the track aud Jnst
alb I'd OF lin. The depot, containing c,mmirsNry
stores a1d corn, was burned, and small bndger ana
trestle-wOTk Oh he road near Coonawa were d.
royed. Lioat. Cot. Prince returned HbDn' three
O'clOck u H.. Tuesday, 10 our camp, having iOuni
no eDeny in Tupelo, and having destroyed rone
trestlo-wOrk norm OF The town Tue supposed Rebel
c,mp-llres the night before, proved To be Iho
light OF The depot OurniDg at CoJnawa AMI tne
p-ircs of Union troops from COnn,h, near Sal
NO. WnO left next nOrnng before We reached their
camp.
Tuesday aud Wednesday were spent IN hard It.
,Or by which MI Tho trcs,l--sDrk aud ilges from
) iltio 10 OK Iona, distance OF - mile, aud IA
LARGE bid 2. south of Ok Iona, across brlncI Of
the IOmti bee River were thoroughly destroy ID,
we'll as large qualities OF timber lyi1. along the
railroad side Ior repairing purposes. The enemy
.evas seen in Verona and Ok oua, tut fed-retnr"-
ng, however, IN some force TO OkOlona hs our
troopers were leaving that place On Wednesday
AZ ernoOn.
Lieut.-Col. Prince, with party az Verona on
Tuediy, captured eighteen larg, boxes OF iufaltry
equipments complete, some OF them marked Col.
) ID. Roddy;' several boxes OF c,ntee'r an
tity vi Confederate army clothing; over lOO new
wall-tents With II CO. &C., complete; some commits
cary stores embracing several barrels Of sugar !,
Dalarms, and ammunition. Eight wagons, pressed
for the purpose, were loaded aud brought away,
ADD the OF the spoIls at The spot Ga our march,
returning bridge gave way IN the night, and the
spoils were burned aud tho wagons abandoned.
Wednesday night, Dec. IL. our whole party
camped at Harrisburg, deserted town, about two
miles northwest OF TdpslD.
Thursday morning, the 18th, before day. we took
mp the Hue OF marcn on our return, aud halted the
forenoon to feed about nipe miles east Of pontotoc
At about noon, ~ point about six miles east OF
Pontotoc, riding i'll advance with my escort, !
learned that largo Rebel cavalry force sad TO bs
0,U00 or 900, were In P0DtOtoc. Thinking that
tbs force seat out 10 cut oil my small command,
looked for them To advance on tho road east ward
toward Tupelo. Closing up my column, il was
quickly thrown off tho road 10 the nJrth aud moved
by neShborhood rOads TO the northwest, with u
view OF passi some four miles north of Pontotoc.
Approaching The road from PontOtoc 10 Fuscuubia
which leads eas. VI north from Pobtotocl w. fell
in with Rebel tankers or stragglers, ABOUT three
mlles from Pontoioc, captured tbree and wounded
one, while others escaped.
IL was here aseertained t,at the Rebel column was
moving Out lom Pontotoc on the Ripley road di.
recty 10 the north, aud passing across our front
about mile dt.ant that the head OF their column
was feeding on hat road, about a milo aud half
distant " tho nOs th-wes. the snoke of their camp.
fires being PLAINLY in sight, and that ABOUT 400 OF
their force stu in fontotoc. My horses were
worn down from hard and long marching that it
was deemed imprafent to encounter enemy 80
superior in hueibcrs, and mounted fresh horses.
My object was ~ as)d him II possible ii not to