The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-10-19
FUHHES2 jICTOnIE.<.

\ correspondent OF til" Mobile Regis
ter, with Forests cavalry, writes that
paper an interesting account OF some Of
the exploits Of the renowned cavalry
general who is spreading destruction
among the Yankees in the Southwest. -
General Forrest, before starting, made
the men speech, telling them that he
was about starting on Z" the largest raid
Of the war; which was to demolsh the
line of Sherman's supplies On the 23I
ultimo, they arrived near Athens The
letter says:
The Yankees at Athens were taken by
surprise, and were completely amazed 1T
the bold Cayaliers-many of whom pcnc
trated the t0Wnduring the night, destroy
ing the ordnance depot, on the public
square, and opening some OF the dry
goods ores-hclping themselves to what
they wanted During the night, the
Yankees repaired to the large fort and the
block houses around the town, taking
refuge therein. About \. NJ, Satur-
taS, MOi ION = t1tlCi OpCiiCh tiiC DilL ~
sending several shots through one of the
block houses, killing some twelve or iii
| teen Yankees. Fuing was continued in
the town about an hour, when II train
with two regiments of rciuiorccWtutS
| from Decatur, hove in sight. Colonel
| Kelley was ordcred, with his brigade, to
| intercept them about II mile below town
| on the railroad He did SO, and gave thcm
| battle at position selected by the enc
| my, OF superior strength, it being behind
! a pile of cord wood, over hundred yards,
| where the railroad ran through Il cut
| of ten feet in depth. Fuckers brigade
proceeded to close i'll on the enemy, keep
| ing up vigorous fire untIl within eighty
wards Of them, in an open space; the
| Fifteenth Tennessee regiment, Colonel
| I.ogwood commanding, with two com
| palies Of Colonel Kelley rcsimcnt,
| charged them hchind their breastwolh~,
putting them to light, taking eight prl-
soners, and killing several.
The Yankees ran into the woods ada
| cent and kept up a fire upon us they
| still endeayoring to get to Stoci,adc
near town. Fuckers brigade kept them
| moving all the time until they reached
| the block house, where they took refuge.
| General Buford's division was still i'll
| readiness to charge the large fort on the
| edge of the town. When General For
| rest made demand to surrender the
| place, the Yankee Colonel Campbell! saw
that it was mo 60 ana yielded To Gen
eral FORESTS "persuaAVc arguments
The rcin!orcementS winch reached the
| stockadc did not seem inclined to com
DIV with the "War Eagles" request,
and persisted in refusing to surrender
One of Morton's guns WAS turned upon
the "cdiiice," and shot was sent
through it, killing three. The white iia@
was soon displayed, and the taking oi
Athens was over at / O'Clock, with but
very small loss to US
| The number of prisoners taken wae
near fifteen hundred They are now eI
route for Dixie, and are where they vii
have to take "rebel fare" After com
pletely demolishing the stockade, forts
!, Yankee buildings, railroad cars and de
not. General Forrest proceeded to move
at 5 p. NJ, north, on the Pulaski ROAD
We camped five miles from Athens
Next morning-Sunday, the 25th,-w'
moved up the road two miles to "Sul
phur Branch Trestle," where the Yam
KEGS had very strong stockade and fort
garrisoned with regiment of negroe
and some cavalry. AT q A. NJ, the bal
was opened by our batteries playing tn
T very deuce with the Yankee fort. kuek
{ er's brigade soon drove in the skirmish