, 1864-03-14

nov. as ever. They think the w.r is
kept up merely for the leaders, and
Aas is a poor cause to fight for.
DESCRIPTION OF MER1D1AN.
) Meridian is new town, built in the pine
woods, and derives its only importance from
it's railroad connections. Tie Mobile and Ohio
Il Il. intelsects tue Southern. These roads not
only afforded the Confederates means Of COM
municauon, but supplies for: Mobile and
Their Importance 10 The Confsdcrates is al
most inca1culable. One great object of the
expedition was the destruction of those
roads. and 1t is needless to say that 1t was
frst torn up and then the tics were dug up
and piled together. Afterwards tho rails
were placed across the ties and fire set to
them. The rnlls becoming heated, bent
down at each end, thus becoming totally IN
1t for nse. This process s7as carried on
direction from Meridian. besides Ut other:
places along the route. The scarcity Of. iron.
In the Confedcracy makes the loss doubly sc
ye1c to the rebels. It will be long time be-
lore the reads arc repaired again if it is ever
done by the Co1fcdcrates. 4 force was sent
slight skirmish with The enemy. Also one as
inr North US Marion, where they had another
skirnish. Our .cavniry was saved great
deal Of Diminishing by the 'use Of artillery. A
few: shells sent among tho rebs judic1onsly
would Invariably send them skcdadllfng pell
neil. The booming Of our cannon was NJ.
ways the signal for them to start It seems.
that TIC Confcdcratcs thought they were per-
fccily secure In Meridian, as the officers
were building for themselves fine
Ind cne partly finished. Our boys .anisaei
it for him rs we'll rs those belonging to the
otLcr officers There was quite IN extensive
arsenal IN the place where old guns and pis-
tolls were altered SO as to be good rs new.
Also bnyoncts were altered TO what they
not like their appearance as well as our own.
They were broadcr and more fiat than ours.
Tho arsenal was destroyed, together with
the railroad buildings, and several buildings
containing comnissary stores. The coufed- |
e5a.cs m : had - removed most Of their. stores.
arrived as was intended, no doubt much Of
| their stores would have been de-
stroyed. During our stay at Me-
Hdian some, ioraging parties were
/ attacked by the cnemy's caynlry, and lew |
! Of Of our boys were wounded, but none killed.
|, 10 destroy what was OF use to the enemy in
!: and around Meridian, required five days. II |
is needless to say that the destruction was !
4 thoroughly accomplished, and that it will be I
q long time before the rebels will wish to see
the Union army in TINT vicinity again.
FOR HOME.
|. Having accomplished the object Of the cx- !
/ pcdition, nnd our provisions running low,
/ The expedition started back on the o0th nit.
The route chosen was through Canton, to the |
northwafd Of the one going out This was |
done, partly, that supplies might be obtained,
and partly for the reason that there was Con-
return march, the contrabands began
to pour in upon us by hundreds. Old |
men and young men, women and children, Of |
all ages, some on foot, some on horseback,
and some In wagons drawn By oxen. It was
them, who sought to keep them together, |:
but this Was next 10 Impossible Men might /
: hc Seen who llud started with large family l.
and lost them every one. They were un- /
donbted'y somewhere with the train and
cared for as well as possible.
TIE CoETRADAEDs FonAGING,
One thing the darkies showed themselves
tully susceptible of-thc art OF foraging. Not
q chicken or pig showed Its luckless head.
but. in the words Of the darkies themselves,
! It was 3oacr. Nothing SO ncttlcd the seccs-
sionists as to hare things taken from them
By the negroes. If uur soldiers took what
they wanted to eat, they seldom uttered
word, but took 1t Us matter Of course; but
let q contraband capture anything, and they
complained bitterly.
TO CANTON.
Our march to Canton was devoid of inter.
est, est; The country is sandy and the soil poor
crossed on . pontoon bridge. Afterwards
the country becomes better, and we passed
many fine plantations. We found considcra-
bic cotton at different places on the route,
all Of Which was burned One Of our men
who had struggled from his command, was J..
found tied to tree aud shot. He was not
dead Wien found, and was taken along with
rs, but TIE poor fellow could hardly recover.
Durlug the march We lost several men by
struggling but for the distance marched the
number OF 6tragglers was remarkably small. i
as a general thing onr soldiers stood the !
march remarkably well. Enough horses
a1,d mules were captured SO that those
who were sick and tired ont couid ride.
Canton is fine village and contains many
spl.ndid residences. It is really the pretttest
place in the State, It is situated about one !
hundred miles from Meridian, and seventy
from Vicksburg. Fifteen locomotives were
captured pear this place. Their loss will be
5eat to- me ~ on;nt rebels as they are 5s much
and engines are nearly worn out, and their . ,
means for replacing them are very limited. !
me railroad was destroyed at this place for
long distance. a large quantity Of meal j,
opportnnely for our soldiers. for their hard. :
tack had nearly given out. From Canton the n
larger part Of the train and the contrabands
were sent to Vicksbnrg in advance OF the
main army, The second night ont from Cam
ton it zained and continued to do SO the
greater part Of the next day. This was
the. first min Of any account TINT
we had experienced On the expedition. This
was enough to show US how impossible It =
~onld haye bccn for the expedition to haye 4
q dIy and pleasant. It v:as so muddy that
[Ie trim Was ~ day, going the distance of y
eight miles, and worked very hard ut that, !
It wus enough to make one's heart bleed to :
zee the poor contrabands, shirerins with the :
:old, children crying, and women moaning !
rNeously, I'LL endcAyorlny to the best Of h
their ability to Keep up with tho train. Their
troubles were Of short duration, for tho
soon cleared up, and they were able y
g q Keep up With the train quite comfortably.
:omplished without any event worthy of no >
Ice We arrived on the I'd inst, having {:
1etn absent from that place almost month.
THE RESULT oF TIE EXPEDITION. +
lhc Coutclcrates will consider this expedi- :,
Ion Us the holdest move Of the was. For \
u army no larger than that which accompa-
'icd Sherman to advance into the very heart | =.
i tue Confederlcy without any eomnluuica- "
Ion for nearly month, and that too where "
Le rebels had q perfect railroad communlca-
,:alnly than anything else that has transplred In
he real weakness Of the Confeicracy. uod | ps
hey The troops to spare from nny point, or til
ooio they lave been raised in any manner, e
&c would not have been allowed TO return ! u
without serious opposition. 1t is IN eye fc
pener to the people Of Mississippi, and can N
urdfy but convince them that It Is useless to T,
Eotr1act the war longer. Nearly all with y y
Flom VIC conyersed, confessed as much. Re- Fi
azdcd in this light the expedition has done sa
great dee1 Of good.
TIE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
Nearly one hundred miles of railroad was I cr
estroyed, and that in such manner that 1t be
i'll have to be entirely rebuilt with new iron | IL
o VERY easy job y lien we consider the scare fo
y Of that article at the South and the in ha
FcaEing scarcity of labor. These railroads So
'ere OF untold valne to the South as q means la
communication with different parts Of the mi
onfcdcracy, and for the transmission Of fsup~ 50
lies. Besides the Flilroads and railroad build re
'gs, other buildings aHd stores, horses and ~
'ules captured to the number of two or 1t 1t
lrce thousand. md contrabnnd5 to the num- so
CT Of five thousand win swell tho amount of pr
'ss to the Confcderates to nearly twenty Me
'illions Of dollars. The country through CO
t. =