Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-15


tention vas now tIrned to the train.
TIE negro drivers we're ordered 10
unhitch the mules, ana as fast
ss possible each wagon vas fred some
we're loaded With camp eqaipage, some
With eonsmissary stores, some with corn,
and few with ammunition. These last
we're not fred until the party started.
The bursting Of she'll could 5e heard for
half an hour afterwards Fifty wagons
we're thus destroyed With al their coz
tents Upon the mules and horses taken
from the wagons, the prisoners, to the
number Of z39. we're mounted. II vas
now between 10 and II D clock at night.
The column vas nearly ono halt mile
long, as owing 70 the narrswness Of the
roads. they we're obliged to march 10 col
umn og twos. TEentv-Gvs men we're
placed 10 trout a. an advance guard aad
/ % men III the rear as a rear guard.
leassng only 80 meu to guard the pris-
oners Several hundred blacks also
came along, many Of whom we're mount
ed on mules. All uight ihev travelled.
When daylight came and ihs rebels saw
Ebe small humber Of men guarding them,
they naturally inquired where the party
vas that captured them On being told
that they saw all who took part in Il.
thor refused TO believe it, and could not
conceal their modification when finally
convinced Of the fact
About j o'clock Of the morning of
the sob, when within i've miles Of Moant
Elha, the roar OF our hoHitzcrs coeld hs
distinctly heard Soon the roar Of
masketry could also be distinguished,
and they knew that sharp engagement
vas going on between The enemy aud
oar forces left to guard The bridge 0n
arriving there they found all quiet tic
enemy having been driven back, and
Col. Clayton With the cavalry was in hot
! pursuit
Montiesilo, the headquarters Of the
fsbsl forces in that section Of country, is
| on ibis side Of Saline river, G0miles from
+ Pine Bluff, IL miles from I4ongview.
/ where their pontoon bridge was, and
80 miles from Mt klha, where we bad
our bridge
Gen Doekery, who was in command
there as soon as he heard Of the Long
view affair naturally enongh supposed
that all our cavalry was there. leaving
only the infantry TO guard the bridge.
Acting upon this suppositian, he instant.
/ y decided to make q forced march to
At Elba, capture the guard there, cross
over and meet our cavalry on -iheir re.
turn, ambush them and take most
Of them in, but the result will Show how
badly be was mistaken Col Clayton
completely outwitted and outgsnsraled
him; for, anticipating this maneuver, be
only went six miles from tha bridge with
the cavalry and quietly vent ifFo camp,
sending out scouts on all the roads. aud
strong detachment under Mai Weath-
srs were out some hflsen miles on she
Princeton road, at which place General
Shelby, with tweniy-eighs hundred men.
we're eneamped Gen D0ekery had with
him between fifteen hundred aud two
thousand men, part Of them (Crawford's
brigsda) being considered picked men.
he commenced feeling our lines early
on the morning Of the 30th alt, and by
! O'Clock the engagement was hot aud
hesgy.
About eleven o'clock they commenced
falling back. Col Clayton Immediately
started after them with our cavalry
Major Owen. Of the LIST Indiana, Lieut.
Col. Jenkins. of the jth Kansas. and
Major Umphries, Of the Tth Missouri.
taking the lead The different scouting
parties that had been sent ous reduced
our cavalry force to about 500 men, hat
every man felt himself hero and acted
accordingly The enemy line Of battle
vas mile long. Scattered along eon-
fronting them was the gallant three hen-
dred. Sometimes in charging them
through the woods they would almost
entirely lose trace and sight Of each
other but steadily they pressed the enc
my back until after going about four
miles in this way they emerged from the
woods into large plantation. Here
there was gentle rise ia the ground, on
top of the rise was a large peach orchard.
Here the enemy had determined 20 make
a stand, and were drawn up in a line
behind the fence ready to deal death
and destruction il we advanced. Our
howitzer was quickly brought into play
while Major Owen aud Lieut. Colonel
Jenkins busily employed themselves in
getting the men together ready for .
charge across the Geld. At this juno.
ture Col Clayton (who had stayed behind
to make provisions for taking care Of the
prisoners and the taking up Of the potl-
toon bridge as soon as all our scouts
were acrossl arrived When within one
hun lred yards Of the open field he saw
the situation of affairs aud sticking
bis spurs into his horses sides, With cap
swinging over his head. be dashed for
ward. Instantly the CRY ran along the
line, Clayton is coming, and for a
moment al was still, the officers with
eager ears waiting for the command 10
charge, and the men equally as ca ger
20 obey it As soon as the Colonefs
horse was fairly past our line, loud and
clear could be heard his voice as il rang
out the words, charge, charge, boys,
charge. Forward, charge, was in
stantly repeated BY all our officers, and
no more daring, gallant, or brilliant
sight has been witnessed during the war
than this charge Of Col CLAYTON and his
800 on four times their number. Two
or three volleys were fired st them hy
the rebels ere thsy retreated, but owing
to the rising ground they oyershot their
mark every time, and when we we're
within pistol range and commenced
using our reyolvers in reply, their hearts
/ failed them, tkey turned tail, mounted
their horses, which were little in the rear,
and left for parts unknown. On arriving
at the top Of the hill we were obliged to
halt while the fense which surrounded
the peach orchard could be thrown down
/ This gave the rebels handsome start,
which they took good care to Keep from
! this time on. In this charge three Of
the rebels were killed, number wound
ed, and Is taken,prisoners. The retreat
was now perfect rout, and for the next
/ few miles horse flesh suffered most Sc
verely. Here large creek, deep asi
miery, Was 10 be crossed The rebels
succeeded in getting over and throwing
most Of the plank covering the bridge in
the siresm. This DELAYED as some time,
in fact broke up the pursuit, as they had
con, n1aured n divide ny, -, snail "a -ffsz