, 1864-03-28
THE CAPTURE OF UNION
CITY.
Shameful Conduct of tho Command
[uE officer.

CA1no. Narcb eo.-An expedition nndeT General
Mason 1srayman, commapdant Of this military dis,
ttict. lett here on Thursday morning, and landed
at Columbus IL The 9bjsst % - Of the pn
by the rebel Forrest, who has been moving up
through West Tennessee.
Our forces sSaalsted 5 o. ihc sth ~ M h
dIrivinE at Columbus, Gen. BEayman also took
msae @ ssous sa e2esn easd sna
tng previous 10 starting that bridge short dIs-
uaea gap { 6 led aa
nrayman's Chief Of STAFF, who had been sent from
here the evening previous. for the purpose OF as
end desIgus so Of The enemy, etc. haa retufned to
Columbus from Union City beforet expedition got
started from there, passing oEer the burning bridge
not to endanger. lie and Col. Lawrence. COM
rnnndlng the post at Columbus, advised Gen. Bray
man that they were Of opinion that Col. Hawkins,
commanding Union City, would be able to hold
ontagatuet the enemy until refnforcements could
reach him Notwithstanding the attacking force was
reported AZ much superior TO our tosce5. The IN
ed. were surrounded with earthworks Of some pre-
on EXPEDITION pushed forward. and: On arriving
had SURRENDERED q. IL o'clock in the morning. that
the fortincations and q considerable amount ~ i
n he pbS Sostes Ao on Which our forces wcre
| mounted, the arms and equipments, a
few mules and wagons, and the prisoners, had been
| removed, the enemy taking northeast direction.
Little OF no fighting had been done Although the
| enemy had made three charges, meetins with 10.
pulse each time, hut ono ran IN tho garrison was
killed The nseaillng force was not more than one
| thousand, and were without artillery. They were
1T fret reported to hare artillery and force of
|a Gen. =. Brayman having only lnfantry, which be-
lonsed to Gen. .Veatch's command, taken from here,
| where they hnd been awnltfng orders to move on
| another expedition, and having orders from Gen.
Sherman not TO detain them from the service In
on transports, and returned to Cairo yesterday.
| It is not known with certainty who commanded
the assAIlipE force when Hawkins 6urrendered{ but
the enemy hnTahed for Forrest =
Gen. Bfnyman intends, II approved OF by bis su'
unImportant points within the district such az thu
one on which the raIl was made, considering 1t a.
fdoiug the rebels more service than II le!t to pt
occupied hy the rebels themselves, as, while gar
rieoned by the United States, rn1ch smuggling ant
contraband traffic are going on under the presen
loose trade regulations
A flag OF truce wRs sent by Forrest, saying thai
unless the garrison surrendered according 10 hi
conditions, he would open artillery On the garr1
ed him to cnt his way out but be refused to do SO
Other statemcnts are to the effect that some OF hi
own men threatened to shoot him ii he surrender
led. It Is also said that when the surrender hat
been made. several Of our men wept like children
and number broke their guns, and othera thsey
theirs into well, and that the officers broke the1
our forces had Just been paid ono years. service
The loss to officers and men Is estimated ut neari
| ei1ty thousand doIfats.
several escaping. FoEty-ole are here now, IN
| others reported In the woods.