Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-08
The War in the Southwest.

Details of the Raid into Holly Springfield.
Murphy Surprised-Repulse Of the Rebels at
Dauis' Aihs-Gen. Grants Movements.
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Times.
CAIRO, Dec 20.
we have at last reliable details OF the
raid into Holly Springs; also news from
Gen. Grants army.
On the 18th, the rebel cavalry under
Van Dorm, 5000 strong, dashed into the
city at daylight from al easterly direction:
surrounded the place; captured the gar.
rison and Government employees number.
ing 1900; burned the depots. machine
shops, all buildings containing Commissary
and QuarterInsster's stores. two iocomo.
t'ves, forty cars, unoccuped hospitals.
many wagons, 10, 900 army blankets, and
$4,000 worth of cotton; blew up ord
nance stores, and got $4,000 in green
backs. They paroled 500 prisoners, and
lett the city at 4 O'Clock P. NJ.
Col. Murphy, of Wisconsin, post COM
mandant, soas completely surprised, though
notified by Gen. Grant The erening before
thai the enemy aoas in the Uicinity an force.
No organized resistance was made. . .-
- Among the prisoners taken were Capt.
Bowers, Gen. Grants Aid, and Mr.. Dun.
lap, clerk in his office. Both escaped. I'M
paroled.
On the evening of the same day de.
tachment of rebels attacked Coldwater.
and was repulsed with considerable loss.
On the Goth, at noon. the main force at.
tackled Davis Mills, seven miles south of
Grand Junction, defended by $50 men of
OF the 25th Indiana infantry. al d two com.
panies of the 9th Ohio Cavalry, under
Capts. Trounstine and Henry, the whole
| commanded by Col. Morgan. After three
hours of hard fighting the rebels withdrew
prec'pitately, leaving twenty dead and
thirty wounded, and carrying off 200
wounded. Col. Morgan constructed earth.
| Worths and block-houses the night before.
and defended himself heroically. The
Federals had three privates slightly
wounded, none killed.
AT night La Grange was threatened but
not attacked
On the 10Th, Col. Marsh, with infantry
from Oxford, and Coils. Lee, Grierson and
| Misener, with the cavalry brigade from
near Water Valley, were ordered north
ward IN pursuit. They reached Grand
junction on the 22d. Col. Misener was
! removed from command, and his brigade
III
the morning, the enemy attacked Bolivar.
Col. Grierson arrived, an engagement be-
gan, and the rebels withdrew towards
Salisbury. There was some slight skir-
mishing al day. No Federals were dis
abled.
On Christmas day the rebel force took
| Ripley, thst being on their line of retreat.
They were teebly pursued by Federal cav.
airy. Gen. McArthur's division expected
to intercept their retreat between Ripley
and Salem.
On Monday, the 22d, the Federal troops
fell back from Yockney River, to the
| north bank of the Tallahatchie. DESTROYING
the railroad behind them etfectualy. Gen.
Grant moved his headquarters to Holly
| Springs on Tuesday
Gen. Qnimby's division started from
there for Memphis on Friday, as escort to
! supply train.
! The country between Memphis and
Holly Springs is overrun with guerrillas,
and detachment OF Van Dorn's cavalry.
Gen. Grant will get supplies from Mem.
phis 0a0 railroad and wagons.