Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-06-18
Thrilling Account OF sturgls's Ex-
peditiOn.
MEMPHIs. June Is, 1864

MhMfhtSf June 10 Aoo8.
Editors Journal
On the 2sth Of May orders came to
Gen. Washburn 10 send ont an expedi.
ton to destroy the Mobile and Ohio rail.
road at some point below oorinth, the
rebels having the road ia runing order
to that place. Tho expedition vas i'm.
mediately organized and started on the
lsl of June.
The troops composing It we're Warren
and Winslow's brigades Of cavalry md, 7
Gen Grierson; MeMtllans brigade oi
infantry, consisting Of the Tad and o5' h
Ohio, Hath Illinois, 9th Minnesota, 93d
Indiana, company Let Illinois artil.
lery, four pieces; cut the 9th Indiana
battery pieces Also Hoges brigade,
the slst, g5th, l0Ssh, 18th and I20th
Illiness regiments, and Chapman's Ind.
ana Battery. four pieces; also the 55th
and 59th Uaited States eolored inian.
try, the whole under command Of Bdga.
dier General Sturgis, aud numbering
about eight sheusand.
From Capt. Bnckland Of Mcmillan
stat, DR. e. E. Irwin, Of the 93d Indi.
ana, and Lieut. Hubbard, in charge oI
the train Of the LIST division, l have OBJ.
tanned the following account:
Passing through Colliersvills, Lamar
aud Ripley, point l04 miles distant
from Memphis was reached on the morn.
| ing Of the 10th without special Incl
dent
That morning word came back thai
Griersons cavalry advance had found
the enemy Ten minutes later mes
sage from Griersoa came, with the re
quest for the infantry TO be hurried ur
TO support him. Hoge's brigade started
forward at quick time. Mcmillan and
staff Ealloped to tho front and me
GrieFson himself, dashiag back, with the
word that be could not hold his position
longer than twenty minutes, and that the
| position was one which must be held a
ell hazards Mcmillan said to him, ''ir
20 minutes the infantry shall be here
| The order went back "Double-quiek'
This was the only clear day during th'
month. Every day it I'd rained tn,
yellow clay mud was kn q deep, yet viii
cheer these brave men started for
ward on their race Of death Two mile
the sun broiling hot--over bill ans
through swamp, the men went toifing
forward, many falling by the waysidl
utterly exhausted
The enemy were in position on /,
range Of hills forming three-quarters o
circle. Our cavalry was in the valley
and fer more than one hour had Tough
twsnty-eight thousand men. The mo
ment the infantry came up the eavalr
broke to the rear in Wild disorder Tn
day was evidently lost. The erem,
we're vastly superior in numbers, an
their position impregnable; bat some
thing must be done TO save the train, i
possible, and Gen. Sturgis galloped Il
the rear and ordered the teamsters &
retreat instantly or .hey would be car
tured. That was warning enough The
cut the mules from the wagons an
started, aud now the struggle was b.
tween the cavalry and the tsamsters 70
the advance reRrward
) Meantime, the exhausted and broke
down infantry struggled into the fats
circle from which they were never I
. escape, fighting with the utmost despel
alton. Hoge's brigade formed the le
! wing, if it could be SO called, for thel
was no time to form q line of battle, an
! each regiment was ordered to the rigI
,, or left as il came mp, to 6ght irdepenC
J entity. NcMillan's brigade formed Il
right, with the Esd Indiana on the e.
: trsne right This sGs one Of the be
regiments in the service. Better he
: oEscers nor braver, never led regimen
and the men were true to the last c.
Thomas formed his line in q swamp,
!. near as possible to the enemy. o.
hundred yards from his right s re
= el battery opened with grape Al
; canister, and another on his le
seat shell and shot plunging throug
his lines The men already weak Al
exhausted could not stand this .wiiheriI
hrs long. They advanced and fell bac
! csir few wards however and th