, 1864-06-16
FROM mEMPUIE.
Fur1htr Particular of St4rye&s Re.
puaae.-The Look Improving.

----
Mk1rms, June Il, via Cairo, 18th.
Considerable bodtes Of missing infantry Of stur-
ges' expedition are constantly coming In, and sur
loeE viii probably be cut down to less than ono
thousand ali told.
BY tonight the caeualtsee will be pretty accu-
rately reported. Some officers blame SturEas, and
e.y his management was bad. This will probably
be Investigated. All concur in stating that our
men fought With desperation, the negro troops es-
peally, but they fell Into confusion, and their am
munition becoming exhausted, caused the panic
reported.
The rebel force which stu1ges encountered was
en- sosts to Johmeton's army when they fecaived
information OF the fitting ont ofith1s expedition
and turned about to defeat It
AEKrH1s. June 18th. VIA CA1Ro, jane ia
3orcc Of $3.50 men under General Stuzga LEFT Mem.
gh,r .wo eess m eace f.! IN The rear q
about n1ne days, they reached the neig6borhood Of
..untowu. Gies., point forty miles Southwest Of
this aide Of Tie ,own, on the Falton-RipieY ro1d.
Our cavalry, which was ato nllcs In advance of
1be infantry md wsgon tEAia, ENGAGED ths eaeny;
hack three miles, to Oldtowu creek. where they
were Joined By McMtllan's br1gnde Of in!an-
t1y: which had been brought up on the doub1e~
The stream Is fcrdable at only one poiut In the
ne'gheoEhood; and is spsnned bg small bridge,
xhese + the Fulton. .Rtplsy E road cEosses Tne east
L.
50 tnat the advantage Of position WAS gained By
sighting ffom the former side, whf=h advantaee
was naturally the cnemJ'e. After driving our I'D.
artillery coming up, 4 sharp engagement Of orcr
two bo1rs euened. Our forces were finally com
pelfed to fail back before the superior fcre Of the
enemy, which they did in the direction Of Ripley
the enemy following closely in their rear: 4 con
nnnal slismish Was kept up for nearly eight miles,
Thsn %,f,.t eaf forces reached 2 swamp on The
En!ton- Rt2ey' TRese a ANOTHER e%pEaEsnsnt %
mud, 70 that 1t became utterly impossible to move
of our wagon train 3 nd artillery. General coufu-
zion followed hcEt, the enemy pressing our troops
under GHtrton: ,sier desperate lighting. were
compelled to fall back Tho infantry were thrown
iu1o confusion, surrounded hy the enemy, and the
E1s;n;es portion p @ sspsnrsd, oi s,Ehteen pisces Of
hundret of our wagons were taken. The grester
ostion Of our wounded fell into the eueny's
hands During the retreat the cavalry Of the ane-
loss In killed, wounded and captured, will proba-
bl? EXCEED s, zoo. though large numbers arc con-
tiaually coming in- Tho loss es the enemy In
laM 4 and wouaded is supposed TO have been con-
and artillery. though several Of orr cavalry
regiments suffered severely In the last engage
MI Mt ppon the retreat. The loss In the ID
mpley eaost Kirby Smith to hs7e se N
command OF the enemy: and Gems. Forrest. Rod
| dg, S, D. Lee Al d Gho'eon are I'd to bare been
| present. The following weIa the troops ccmpos'
| 1ng Gen. SturEes' commacd ea the expedition :
Warnings and Wtns'ow'e hrisades Of cavalry.
| under Gen. Gfleraon; McMillan'e brigade Of In.
faLtry. consisting Of the e5 and I'd Ohio. 11lth
illinois; Mth 1nd'5na. CO. Of re 1t Illinois moi.
b1ietde. the Slst and 52d Illinois also the 55th
and so'h Uni,ed S:stes colcred infantry: 4 force
eSI en Md1y, Sy Gsa a
effect the obectS Of the first expedition.