The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-03-30
News Of the Day.

The rebel force under Gen FosREsT. said
to number seven thousand men, whose almost
unopposed progress through western Tennessee
and kentuckey, has already been uoticed in
our columns. arrived At Paducah Friday
afternoon, giving the inhabitants barely time to
escape to the | illinois shore in ferry boats.
! hey piliaged the City burned the Government
storehouses. the marine railway. the steamer
Dacotah and many buildings. Colonel Hicks,
commanding the post, retired to the for with
500 men at his disposal, ard repulsed the
enemy in four successive assaults the works.
Our loss was four killed and forty-six wounded
but the rebels are reported to have lost three
hundred killed and considerably over one 1000
wounded in their attacks. To protect his
against the enemy sharpshocters Col. HICKS
destroyed several houses near the fort and
turned his guns on the town after FuRRrsr had
occupied it. Two gunboa.s siielied the rebels
SO vigorously that they retired Saturday
morning. 1t is supposed, large amount Of
booty with them.
At last accounts they were between Columbus
and May field. and had taken Hickman.
Mayfie.d was hiled with their wounded to the
number of twelve to fifteen hundred. Onc
company is sad to have lost fifty killed.
There were some expectations that they
would attack Columbus but 1t WIS believed a
successful resistance could be offered there.
CAIRO, March 2s.-The Beasta and
Paw Paw. tin clads. were the gunboats
which participated in the late battle ut
Paducah.
Opening fire simultaneously with the
fort. on the enemy 5 advance into the city,
they rendered invaluable service through
out the engagement.
After being once repulsed in the as
sault on the fort. Forrest sent a communi-
cation to Col. Hicks demanding the sur
render of the troops and public stores,
promising. If the demand was complied
with, that our troops should be treated
as prisone.s OF war: but If compelled to
storm the fort. the might expect no quar-
ter. Col Hicks replied that he was placed
there to defend the fort. which he should
do, and peremptorily declined to sur
render.
The enemy then made second and
third attack on the woods, but were
repulsed each time with heavy loss The
rebels then broke their lines, and formed
in squads, occupied the houses, and kept
up fire till late in the evening. when
they were driven away, orr artillery be
ing turned on all buildings occupied by
them
On their way into the city the enemy
fired the railroad depot, which was con
sumed. and toward evening burned the
Quartermaster' building and the steamer
Decotah, not Arazonia, on the Marine
railroad. They plundered the stores of
an immense amount Of goods, and took
all the horses they could find. Some
merchants lost S25. 900 to $50. 900 worth
of property. Early next morning the
rebels appeared when Col. Hicks burned
all the houses within musket range, but
the enemy made no advance. and after a
request for IN exchange of prisoners,
which was declined. they retired in the
direction of Columbus. Toward the end
of the battle it was discovered that the
ammunition was nearly exhausted. when
Col. Hicks ordered that, should it give
out the fort should be defended by the
bayonet as long as man remained alive.
which was received with hearty cheers by
all the troops. The negroes. to the num-
Der of 30, in the fort, fought with great
gallantry- All was quiet at Paducah
yesterday. The enemy had six small
cannon About fifty building were
burned. Among them were the hospital, I
gasworks, some OF the French residences /,
of the city. the custom house. and post
office The Continental hotel was no.
injured Our troops were the 10th Illinois +
infantry. Colonel Hicks, and battalion
of negroes The regiment not learned !
The PTt,shcrg Pcs. SAYS that on the iSth
instant. ftr-shree bsrges started from that
place. for Cincinnati laden with coal. The
amount sent away in one day was i've hundred
and twenty fhouSaad h0shsla. : =