, 1864-05-22
FROM ,NATCHEZ,

NATruEx, Miss. Nay g. 1854.
hatcher has again changed commanders, Col.
johnson was relieved about sl1 Wesks sgo and Is
now filing tho Important and 1ahorious duties o
Presldcnt Of q courl.martial. Brig. Gen. Tuttle
of Iowa, now commando this district, and Col. B.
G. Fsr1ar 0: The 0. 8. C. artillery {formcry of ths
I'd Mise. artillery, A. d. commands tho troops in
Fort McPherson and vida1is. Fort Mcpherson ls
still. under tho immediate command OF Colonel
Kent, 9th Illinois lnfantzy, most efficient and
compttsnt young officer.
A great deal u curiosity vas felt By The military
aA to what course Gen. Tuttle should pursue to-
wards the citiz9ne Of this ptAce, As va hare been
cured for almost year By tho presence Of COM
nsauding officers who aremed to think great deal
more about keeping in tho good crsccs Of the clu-
zene, aId being visiting terms with the far zeb-
els herr. tan Of tupprceslrg tho expression Of hos
tile demonstrations fron them Pnd stopping the
Illegal 1r1tlc which has been carried on here to
almost Us great an extent a. In Mcmphts. Tho
military looked IT Gen. Tuttie's political counec-
s,a a oa 81
u cit,zens who had been accustomed 10
Ian Headquarters hete, be !ery. qalrtlJ. told
long time as rebel city, and that he intended to
ttthg tlem up short; aud, safd he, "1f | heaz of
ary 5n1 standing around town and publicly aaus--
1eid you cut OF Our lines TO your friends the rcb-
sls" Hearing that The city clergy were tn the
habit OF om1tttnG the prayer for the President
called them together and ordored them to read
the prayer Tor tho President OF The United
s.a.es, Or , base their q shnrches closed and
tsenesal had raid it, end mad them comply. Thu
eztntivn trade which vas formerly carried On
dtc1eahed1 No one il now allowed to carry any
thin. o9ietae who h4s not taken tho cath Of am
pps., So b!sr e. 70 tne majority ofhe people hsEe
As tsusi, the eneril'as have been prov1in=
around plqnde1.ns plantations. Carrying % 9orsea,
letseee. On the oh inst aid was made on the
plantations near Waterproof everything was csr-
ke .ls Swo q sfs
correspondents, who h4.e been particularly un-
'1cky. havsng mst with tho same fhte on thelr
singing thas touching melody, schtiy. altered: :.
Oh lay down de qbbcl and do hoe,
And pick up de p<h for to got
The band which h1d been most troublesome Is
.sesn wate.ploef I'D W v,dss % II some Sos mos,Ss a.
Fu1 on tie oh Inst. terrible pnnishuent over.
took them. P%tpnusrin9 % and burning to Within
eb.. s9th, 81 T. T. 1T!i!is1y, dc; . r:teed iasi
party 9! slxty Of hl. men 70 ovest.ke them, aad
presence Of tho rebels about ono hundred and afsT
strong Tie 1S Celo3S1 meai.,sly took ny
now IN pnisutt. He met them about welTo
miles frcm town, found that they. had followed
The rebels eosne distance, and had killed one Lieu.
tenant during slight ea1rmish The rebels bad
,heR st,uek T. % through the sgamp md were going
pse. 'fs & s. Col +; En- sh
night march. At O'Clock .. N. they came to the
camp hrcs Of the rebel picker, dIsmonnted half Of
thc command, and cautiously advanced towards
the camp, the negroes in the confer, cavalry on
scaeh dank. But tho enemy had discovered their
sdyanee md ware in line, expecting the At
.a e w1 IT. b1s u IL ss;1 S
liant Colonel dtsnnountinc and placing himself At
their bead, lead them to within any yasls when.
TO draw thelrs, he gave them the ofde. 70 cnar9e
and dashed forward Tho men 2oalowed Win
theeIt, shoutt, and cries ct - no qaarteri Re
mr, ehootinE right and lefr with tssribte effect.
Foadve minutes 4 feree hand to hana dcht was
kept up bnt The robe1t. ignorant OF how many foes
~hieh the troops showed, broke ard ded In aU d.
tections through the swamp. leaving onn capt.In,
fEo1lsotenAnts and twelve privates On the deld.
During. The ehs5se Major Smith wss stzuek oyer
The bead by a nttket, while leading bis men; N
ns!y nas not oangeIous wound Three urlEates Of
~ a. : negroes ,s teasas ss demon, making NO e.
cct oi retaliation for tic b.rb.r,tis, Of Fort Pi
low and plynoath, the beginning of deadly and
fxcd determination on the port q our oiicers ind
murdered comrades,
Bat my letter II now too long, As The rebels arc
gathering hack Of this place. there WIN probably b0
era} Thoaas IL still here engaged In his nohle and
patriotic work. When II IL reflected that thera src
some Is GU negro troops In the 1eld, and that he
ws cnn eee the great work he IL doing for tho
etuntr!. onr Of The old school Of oteers. who BE-
cved that thelt nrnt duty was to their country, he
to have, and is working hard to raise thrrr new
regiments here. Ho leaTea tomorrow for VlckS.
burg znd the NORTH OCCASIONAL