The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-31
OmcIaI Report of Colonel I.htbold OF the
defense nt Dalton.

Defense at DaltOn.
HPADorARTRRs Posr CbMMAND, DALTON,
Ga, August i8 1864 .-General .-t the I'd Mis-
sour Volunteer Infantry has ever deserved
praisc Il maSe, me no proud to we the honor
to report 10 you An action wIich | think win
Keep the memory OF my brave bOSs awe for a
good ume tJ come On S.md y last. che Ian,
tie renowned Rebel RAIDER General Whsciar
having no fear Ot the thrdshug gave MIN on
tuc 2Sth o. December lst, 1t Charleston, reu-
ne rec, before his eyes, al, snrcd with At least
Eve thOusand mgn On his place, and fter havlng
surrounded II, demanded surrender Ia thc follow
ing trn,E:-
"HEApaUARrBus CAVALRY CoRPs. AMY or
TN TENNFsstE, AROuND DALTON, August -
Officer O. mmHudinR UuIted Stues fOnce,, Dat
tor To prryeut the unuoce stry eifusiUu ~
blood have tie hoU or q dvmtud the iumedit'e
ara uuco Il mai surrender Of tue forces uud
your command ~ this Z rrisOu.
Eespe, siuly your, SC.
"JAMRs WHgBLgR,
Maj9r-Geuea Commanding
My auswerwa -
Ohicct GO counaudiog Confederate forces In
front ut Dalton IL have been paced here g ae-
"B. LunoLp,
Colonel 81 Missouri Vols Com. Post"
General Wheeler, on reco wing tlis answer, vas
generous enough 10 give me sixty seconds tune
To- ?, fleet, anu hgau sent word that 40 W tnted q
zee me rersOuiiiy. To tue last invitation Hn-
swoled that would give him the privilege after
he had "a en- Wc. After skirmishiug fbr two
hours my meu mere driven b ick 60 an earthw Irk
e. Cteu 10y mt, ut at ino time IN an unfinished
stale, and unprOte ted by artillery. furious
churk, wa. made OF tris work but most gll-
iHnty rrpulscd ana my skirmishers i'm ncdtttely
thrown out again one hundred yard, from tue
torif tuus. hno her h,g of truce arrived
Nh ich ietustd 70 accep', at the same tlm' nOtl-
iyiug tue leuer fanuther such appro lcn shiI,d
he attempted / would have my men fire on tbs
psrty, whch was accordingly done, wnon IN
81 ad OF uRhurg they came ont for tue third time
10 parey with me.
a ADout O'Clock In the evening the enemy
brought two pieces or artillery in position, "A nd
fred ia hOus IN .ide Of my breastwOfxs several
rounds, the skirnishiDg never being tutorru JteI.
Tie nre of the artillery soon ceased, Dut w4s re-
n,wed again at III O'Clock, mot furInSly, with
sold Shot anu she but though alm Ist every snDt
10 d on the house inside of the fOrtiicaiiOns, che
bu iness Of tbs skirmishers AMI >hdrp,hoJers
was not intetfered vi h, and cOntnIei until tise
O'Clock next mo- niug,w en- noticed the mead Of
Wheei,T's co umu 70 n We of IN the diructiOn VI
Tuuuel Hit AbOu two hour. later, heart heavy
1Tlug IN that direction, and then knew thA.
reiniorcrmenis, which l waited SnXiOu,ly for,
On q, c"uut o. my ammunition giving out, we're
coming. T.ese reinforcement under the gai-
liant Ge era Steedman himself, soon drove no
enemy from tl1e direction Of Tunnel Hill, when
l ordered charge Uf my for 'es ag inst tue
en-, my in au opposite directpn toward Spring
Place. The boys rushed at hem N'h u lusEy
Cheering. and drove tbem soon out OF siglt,
with most severe loss 10 the ChiynTIus raiders,
who sue eed,c IN ,lundcrng the deftnselcss
CltlZtn5 OF lDe 'OWni tui, thOuSh ten 10 me,
c uld not take r0nRh and hastily erected
DreHstwOTk defended by ptave solilrrs.
The {, rec und'r my command con i'ied Of
I'd Missouri lufaDtry. ........... 100. 2S8
COhYalt scents .....s....-......,,. VI
Deiachmcnt ot WAGON train......,.......... 30
Scout of Geuerii lhomus. ..............,... 20
7th Kentucky Cavalry. Observation-Disclosures. 81 /
-
Total officers and mcn..... .........43i |
The loss OF the enemy cannot yet be estimated
pr perly, rs they had timo 10 bury their dc I'd
over night, and succeeded in carrying Off most of
their ~ounced int the counIry TO their Sympa-
thizug friends.
All officers ard men of the I'd Missouri VOlun-
teeTs behaved a. properly could eXpe I OF them,
and it 10 therefore unnecessary To make discrimi-
nations. Vey respectfully, your most oOedieut
servant,
lSiHI0d1 BERNARD LAIROLD,
Colonel I'd Missouri Volunteers, Commanding
Post at IL ltoD.
BrRadier- General John q. Gray, Adjutant- Gene |
raj state Of Missouri. ST. Louis Mo.