The New York herald., 1864-03-15


bridge. Fortunately several scows were found. which
answered tho purpose Of pon,oons Tho entire length
| bridging was hundred and sixty feet.
pxARL RIVER gBcRossEp
BY hve O'Clock this afternoon Chambers, In the ad-
vance, crossed the river without opposition and moved
few miles and bivouacksd The advance Of Sixteenth
corps Immediately followed. AZ nine O'Clock in the even.
Ing some difficulty experienced with OF tho scows
and the crossing discontinued whle the engineers
/ again went TO WORK 70 repair the difficulty.
should have stated that on the FIRST day out from
lsboro several Of advance encountered several or
rebel officers at house, and as they attempted to make
their escape sho1 the horse OF Colonel Balantnes
tant General. Tho party not captured, sonse.
quence Of the ignorance OF oumen Of the roads, party
expecting 70 intercept thom the right when tho left
| was the proper direction.
| CANTON, Miss Feb 40, 1864
Az midnighs the bridge tho Pearl was repaired
and crossing was Immediately resumed. Tho sixteenth
corps was all by six O'Clock A. NJ and tho Seven
teenth at once followed The entire army moved directly
| for this place.
| ARRIVAL Ar CANTON.
BY noon Chambers entered the town and placed his
entire brigade provost duty to prevent the robous
o ctizons and destruction OF properly The Fourth
cavalry under Colonel Wnsow entered from the north,
bringing 10 largo number of wagons and quantities Of
bacon and negroes which were being taken OF by cti.
zens.
The sixteenth and Seventeenth corps both camped 10
the vicinity Of the town during the afternoon.
Canton entirely evacuated before our troops ar
rived We captured seventeen engines thirty and
some stores
The people OF the town less vndctive towards
our officers and men than have boon the people In the
other regions through which passed. Ladies' prone.
nadod the Streets Notwithstanding the presence OF
soldiers General Sherman has ordered for the present
that the Seventeenth corps shall operate between this
point and Pearl river, and the Sixteenth between
and the Big Black The object is the destruction OF rail
roads and other operations Of important character
vrcKsnUno, Feb 2s, 1884
RETURN TO vIoKsBuRG.
Yesterday morning q, eight O'clock escorted by the
Fourth Iowa cavalry, Colonel Wnsow, General sherman
and stan set out from Caution for this place This being
the first opportunity also accompanied the party. The
distance between the two points trae over seventy
miles By O'Clock this morning arrived at the
Big Black and taking extra train reached here
ten O'Clock. The two corps were loft at Canton
to carry out the instructions given them, which have
mentioned In former letter. The expedition, however
may be considered completed aud very brief re
view Of the whole may not be out Of place bore.
THE oBJEcr or THE EXPEDITION
10 have been the demolition of the chain OF rail-
ways ceuering at Meridian. in enecting this Geueral
Shermans column was sminently successful. Fully
hundred miles OF road have been literally destroyed
thing being left but bent and useless rails As re.
CARDS the future reoccupation OF tho State by
the enemy. this is an impossibility The sub
sistencs Of largo force upon the meagre
produce In store In the country has drawn OF,
In all probability, than the surplus above tho i'm
mediate wants OF the home pe puIaAou This will obige
many to leave ths State seek other portions that
not been visited by troops This being the case with
his very poor means OF transportation tho enemy will
hardly fnd convenient indeed possible to return TO
Mississippi in any force small cavalry party may
dnd apoory compensated necessity Of remaining, with
out however the least embarrassment effect upon
future operations The expedition may therefore be
considered in tho destruction Of railroads.
and second the wrestling Of the State from pos.
session OF the enemy.
GgSgRAL ". 5. SMITHS CAVALRY MovsxEN1s..
The signal failure OF Gen. W g. Smiths cavalry column,
which should set out from Memphis the Is. OF
NE month, but did not until the 11th defeated well
laid plan the part Of Sherman to capture the larger
part Of tho ensmy's force Smith bad set out
when ordered he could have accomplished oil that
expected Of him; for until the 9th column was
engagng the main strength Of the euemys cavalry under
Lee. However, whsa Lee found it object to
penetrate east o.! the Pearl river and having insult
cent force to successfully delay march. he moved
north and concentrated all his strengthyz the COM
mands Of Forrest Chalmers Jackson and those unde.
his immediate command-aganst Smith, who
by that time, should have passed completely
or reach OF these troops and been well way
pemopols, Ala, the Tomoigbee. HIS unaccountablo
delay, however gave the enemy plenty Of time to mature
his plans and successfully put them into execution
The excuse given, that when Smith heard Sherman
had occupied Meridian be thought 10 unneces.
ssry 10 60 forward, Is but poor and griev.
ousy unmiltary palliaton Of defeat. The So
licitude and detention experienced while our
forces in Meridian In expectation OF Smiths arrival
are sufficient grounds for the belief that Smith had
discretionary privileges regarded hs return until the
object OF his mission was fully achieved.
II Smith had come up, even after the occupation Of
Meridian by General Sherman, there s no doubt we
would Indicted still more lasting disaster upon tho
rebel than they met from the unaded exeriOus Of
the Sixteenth and Seventeenth corps.
OUR GAINS.
In the entire expedition thers about elghi hundred
horses and muos captured and thrcs hundred prisoners
taken. among whom were some deld and line officers
The agent OF she Alabama salt works with about ton
thousand dollars his person, was also taken large
number wagons deserted By the enemy were destroy
cd The killed and wounded OF the enemy will approximate
two hundred one piece OF artillery and number Of
small arms were TAKEN The damage done the railroads
and buildings useful for army purposes computed In
dollars would be enormous AZ the present rates in the
confederacy.
oua LOSES.
Our loss waiefs has boon tridng, and one hundred
aud ay will cover the killed. wounded and prisoners Of
both corps The health OF the troops during the march
was excellent But one was left behind on account
Of sickness
In rev days Colonel Potts brigade will reach here
and be Immediately urcughed aud scnt up the river
seems 10 be the intention get through with the fur
oughns Of ,roos a. quickly possible, with view to
further activity In the coming spring.
vIcxuune, March I, 1894.
sxRMsHiSo NEAR
Information has just been received here that the
two corps have been ordered to this place They