Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-02

Who was captured near Knoxville by
General Sturgis: t'Vance,' according
% the dispatches, chad captured one of
our forage trains, when Sturgis went in
pursuit, and captured the entire rebel
force" This is tire latest of General
Sturgis' achievements in his new field of
operations, but it is not his first About
the close of last month, says the Louis
vile Journal, he achieved brilliant
victory over the combined forces of Gen.
erals Martin, Armstrong and Wheeler
which has not been noticed publicly as it
deserves
The fight occurred at Messy Creek in
Tennessee. General Sturgis had sent
off two of his divisions of cavalry to look
after some cavalry of the enemy report
ed to be near Neutrality-suspicious. 10
miles distant As soon as daylight APP
peared, and the rebels discovered what
he had done, they made vigorous at
tack on his remaining force. This ne
had anticipated, and had directed the re-
naming brigadeof cavalry, which was
four miles in front, to fall back in case
of an attack to Messy Creek, where he
had, unknown to the enemy, a brigade
of infantry and a battery. Another
brigade he had sent toward cambridge,
with orders to halt when four miles out,
in case it should be less needed in that
direction than at Messy Creek.
The rebels, under Generals Martin
and Armstrong, thinking General Stur-
gis had divided his force, came down
upon him like hurricane, driving his
cavalry, consisting of single brigade,
rapidly before them. Seeing them ad-
vancing SO confidently, General Sturgis
placed FIVE guns in position on the oppo-
site side of the creek, next to the enc
my, and placed two regiments of infaIl-
try behind hill near by, to protect the
guns. In the woods on the left he placed
another regiment of infantry. On the
rebels came, when our guns opened upon
them. They opened their artillery in
return, and finally charged upon our
guns, when they were met by one of the
cavalry regiments, and driven back with
great loss. They then tried to turn Gen
eral Sturgis' left through the woods, and
a stubborn fight ensued with our infantry
stationed there, the enemy being finally
charged upon by the First East Tennes
see Cavalry, and driven back
In the meantime, finding the whole O
the enemys force in his front, Genera
Sturgis sent for Col Lagrange, command
ing the brigade four miles out, to return
which he did very promptly, but almos too
late to accomplish much, as the rebels saw
him coming, and took to flight Oul
brave fellows drove them back beyond
the ground We had originally occupied
but, night setting in, the pursuit was re
luctantly given up. TWAS hard fight
lasting from 10 in the morning unit
dark One shell went through Genera
Sturgis' headquarters, but he was in tn,
field at the time, illustrating the rathe
J strong maxim that the brave are neve
in danger Our loss was nineteen kilIet
and eighty wounded Our men gather
ed up twenty of the enemy,s dead an,
buried them, and took a good many o
his wounded into the hospital
! The enemy's loss was variously est
mated from two hundred and fifty to fou
hundred in killed and wounded Tn
secession ladies on the road SAID tn
rebels had twenty wagons running al
day from the field, adding: I" Our poo
fellows were piled in like hogs Their
!, is no doubt that the enemy's loss wa
: very great, for he advanced over opel
5 ground, whilst our men were greatl
concealed by woods and hills. We tool
also thirty-six prisoners.
!, General Foster, in acknowledgment
e of this victory, sent by telegraph from
: Knoxville a very handsome note O
thanks to General Sturgis, who in turn
addressed this mplimentary order t
his troops.
HEADQRs Cav. Cor ARMY OF THE ONO !
Messy Creek, Tenn, Dec 90, 1863.
/, Orders:
The Commanding General takes pleas
| ure in congratulating the troops of thi
command upon the eminent and CON
plete victory they have this day achieves
against the combined forces of General
: Martin, Armstrong, and Wheeler
We must not forget, however, that on
> success was achieved through the loss O
some of our bravest comrades-in-arms
\ whose names will occupy, for all COMM
,, time, a bright and enviable place in tn
history of our country
f At the proper time, it will be the pleas
: ant duty of the Commanding General t
call the attention of the commander G
the Department to individual cases @
: meritorious conduct
By order of Brig. Gen. Stureis.
VIM c. RAwoLLE,
| Capt. Adj't A. D. c., and A. A. A. G
s In announcing several weeks ago tn
appointment of General Sturgis to tn
p command of the Cavalry Corps of tn
# Army of the Ohio, we said the countr
y might look for stirring deeds from tn
Corps; and, if the country has though
/ Sit to look, it has not been disappointed
e We on the same occasion pronounce
General Sturgis one of the ablest an
most enterprising cavalry officers in tn
It service. Those who knew Gen. Sturgi
t did not require evidence of the truth
; this opinion; and those who did requir
evidence are receiving it in great abunt
/ anee and of the most pertinent descril
il ton. Long may he live to repeat TIL
a brilliant proof for the defence and glor
g of his country.
g COMMITTEE ON THE CONDUCT OF TIL
a WAR-The Committee on the Conduc
IF of the War inst anthnrized to ha a,