Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-08-04


struck it, the consequences might have been
very disastrous. As it was, they were utter
| ly surprised at meeting Hooker where they
did.
At least one-half the rebel army was en-
| gagged, prisoners being taken from all three
of the corps.
The fight was most dismal Inauguration
| Of Hoods new command
Our losses in this fearful conflict, including
every part of the line, will amount to about
| $500 men, of whom nearly 1000 fel in the
! fierce struggle of the centre.
| | cannot, with the authorities now before
me, place the rebel loss in killed, wounded
and prisoners, at less than $500 men.
Gen. A. J. Smiths mississippi Expeditions
defeat of Forrest at TupeIO.
A dispatch to the Chicago Journal says
cavalry officer, who actively participated in
Gen. A. j. SMITHS late expedition against
FoRRFsT, furnishes the following particulars
concerning the affair:
The expedition, comprising two divisions
of infantry, one brigade Of negro troops, and
| a division of cavalry, commanded respective
| ly by General Mower, Colonel Moore, Colonel
Benton and General Grierson, all under the
command Of General Smith, left LaGrange
on the 9Th instant, proceeding southeast to-
wards Ripley, and on the 7th the advance of
the cavalry under Colonel Haynes, arrived
seven miles north Of that place, when short
skirmish took place, which resulted in the
| falling back of the rebels three and a half
miles, with the loss of seven or eight men
killed and wounded, our loss being none.
Here they took strong position On high
bluffs from whence they were dislodged after
an hours fight by the I'd Iowa cavalry, who
charged up the hill, killing five or six, and
occupying the position vacated by the rebels.
| The cavalry encamped on the ground and
waited for the infantry to come up, and on
the morning of the Sth the army entered
Ripley, then moved toward New Albany, with
the cavalry On the left. The Sd Iowa cav
airy was sent ahead on a reconnaissance to-
wards the Tallahatchie river, where they met
large force Of the enemy occupying a
strong position on Kelly's Ford A slight
sklrmish occurred, resulting in routing the
rebels with a loss of three men ON our side
when the glmentretuTned to the main force.
On the morning of the 9th the entire ex-
| petition crossed the Tallahatchie, encamping
on the south side that night. On the 10th
| they marched south towards Pontotoc, the
| infantry by the main road, and the cavalry by
| another road, three or four miles to the left.
Still further to the left was battalion ofcav-
airy, which, on striking the Tuscunabia and
Pontotoc road, discovered broad train lead
ing towards the latter place. 1t proved to be
that of Buford's rebel division from Tupelo.
The whole army marched into Pontotoc on
the 18th, the cavalry still on the left, with
the exception of the 7th Kansas, which
| brought up the rear. After an hours fight
the rebels were driven out in every direction,
| leaving a number of killed and wounded. Up
| to this time our loss did not exceed three men
| from the time of starting.
| Forrest at this time was in a strong position
at Brasham's Gross Roads, expecting to meet
| the expedition at that place, but finding that
| he was misled, moved rapidly towards Tupe-
10, and from thence to Okolona, where he
| threw his forces out six miles west t o Prairie
Mount, taking strong position on range of
hills extending two miles around. On the
| 18th, the expedition, instead of moving to
| Okolona, where Forrest was expecting to
meet it, marched direct to Tupelo Forrest
| heard OF this, and at once started north for
Tupelo again, but General Smith reached the
place first obtaining the choice of position,
where terrific battle occurred, in which the
rebels suffered terrible punishment at the
| hands of the cavalry and negro loops, who
direction. The rebel loss was heavy; $50 of
their men fell into our hands.
At night the rebels made an assault on the
temporary works thrown up by our men, but
were again terribly repulsed.
On the 18th another battle occurred, the
enemy assaulting our lines three times, but
meeting nothing but disaster on each at
tempt.
On the night of the ! 9Th the last days ra-
tons were distributed and the next morning
our forces started on the return, followed al
a respectable distance by Buford for four
| miles, when he returned with heavy loss from
skirmishing expedition.
From the night of the 18th to the night of
the 10Th Gen. Smith was obliged to subsist by
foraging, his supplies being entirely exhaust
ed. At Salem, on the night of the 10th sup,
plies were received, and on the goth the
expedition reached Lagrange, with the loss
all through, of less than FIVE hundred men
killed. wounded and missing He brought
back two hundred and fifty prisoners On
several occasions the rebel dead were buried
by our men.
Gen. Grierson says the entire rebel loss
cannot fall short of 1000 men. Rebel dis
patches captured by Gen. Hatch admit the
loss of 2,4OO.
1ue DIulil VI Tie DdlGIe as UOIllc through
out by the cavalry and negroes, who were
constantly in the most exposed positions.
The return of the expedition was owing to
the falling short of supplies. 1t did not lose
a gun or wagon from the time it started
from LAGRANGE.
Among the rebels killed were Colonies
Faulkner, Mowbray, Nelson, Harrison and
Forrest-the latter brother Of Gen. Forrest,
| who was wounded in the foot. Col. wilkins,
of the 9th Minnesota, and Lieut. Mcmahon,
Of the 9th Illinois, were the only officers
known to be killed on our side
TRADE REsTRICTIONs-An order has been
received at Cairo, from the Treasury Depart
ment, prohibiting the granting of 'authori-
cations for the purchase or transportation OF
products or merchandise to or from any in
surreetionary States or districts whatever,
either under existing trade regulations or
otherwise" This resumption of trade re-
strictions is owing to the fact that certain
reasonable parties have abused the trade
privileges by rendering aid and comfort to
the enemy.
WARMEsT DAY.-Prof. LOOMS, of Harvard
University, says that Sunday, the 18th, was
the hottest day which has been noted at that
|