Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-03-24
Cen. shermam's Great Raid
,. Through Mississlppl.

The correspondent Of tho N. Y. Tribune
who accompanied Sherman 10 his great raid
through Mississippi, writes an extended snd
very interesting account Of it. We have
room only for the following extracts: ''
"p' DESTRUCTION OF RAILROADS.
Our troops raised sad havoc with the
Mobile and Ohio and the Southern railroad
lines, inHicting such damage as a million oi
dollars cannot repair. The Southern road
was torn up, rails twisted, and slcepers burnt
| from. jackson to twenty miles East Of Meri
dian to Cuba Station. The Mobile and
Ohio road was destroyed for sc miles, ex.
tending from Quitman to Lauderd als
Springs. Five costly bridges were totally
| destroyed; the one spanning the Chick.
asswhsy river was 2l0 feet long With trestls
work which required four months hard Ia.
Dor of hundreds Of mechanics to construct
It.. Ii was substantial covered bridge
The bridges over Octchibacah, Alligator,
Tallasba and Chunky rivers we're also burn.
ed. On the llth, Capt. Foster, Of the 10Th
Missouri Cavalry, received instructions to
make.a raid on Lake Station, seventeen
miles from Hillsboro. and to destroy all pro-
perty available for the rebels. Two livery
stables, several machine-shops, three loco.
motives, water tank, timetable, 35 railroad
ears, engine-house, two saw mills, aud thou
sands Of dollars worth of lumber we're con-
sumed, spirits of turpentine from the Signal
Corps, aiding materially in the rapid des-
truction of the buildings ..... -.l.......
~ At Canton, which our army
visited but did not burn, we succeeded in
capturing and destroying II locomotives
Apothsr was also destroyed at Meridian,
making Is in all, inhicting loss. on the
Confederates which is of iuoalculable value.
Il is q fact perhaps known, but will bear
repeating here, that Grierson's raid last
yesf through this, State damaged the rail-
road some forty miles North Of Ok.'ona to
such an extent that they have never repair
ed nor undertaken to operate it above that
point. learn from an engineer who has
been forced for two years past to run loco
motive over their roads, and who was en-
abled to get to our lines during the late raid,
that ten miles per hour is and has been for
some months tho maximum speed attainable
by their trains The destruction by Grer.
son OF passenger cars year ago has never
been made good on the roads, and left them
almost destitute of cars, even before Sher-
man came in now to give their Mississippi
railroads this coup de grace.
Ii is no news to state that the Confeder-
ates were put to their wits end to keep up
the ordinary wear and tear of their roads
for the past year, it will therefore be the
more fully apparent how immensely impor-
tant work has been accomplished by Sher-
man. Advancing to within twenty miles Of
Meridian, he sent detachments ten or fifteen
miles beyond that point aud thirty or'forty
North and South to tear up the track, de-
stroy culvcrts, burn the depots, bridges and
ties, and render useless by bending the rails
OF the several roads diverging from that i'm
portant railroad center. This was done,
and done effcctually so effectually, indeed,
as to place it out of the power Of the rebels
to put those roads in operation again during
the continuance of the war. This, there
fore, as any one familiar with the topography
of Mississippi will readily perceive; cuts off
the State from any further military occupa-
tion by the Confederate army, it being i'm
possible longer to maneuver or subsist an
army there without possession of the river.
Cavalry may sweep down or across the State,
but with all the strongholjs along the Mis-.
sissippi River, We hold military control OF
the entire State effectively and effectually.
TOWNS DESTROYED.
The Ragsdale and Barton Hotels were
destroyed after the furniture had been re.
moved, it being the intention of General
Sherman to destroy nothing except that
which might be used by the rebel govern
ment. The State Arsenal was stocked with
valuable machinery for the manufacture and
repair Of small arms aud all sorts of ordin
ance stores, the destruction of which viii
| will prove q serious below to the enemy n
Twelve extensive Government sheds, a. large
building called the Soldiers's Home, and o
number of hospitals and warehouses; filled
with miscellaneous military stores, were Sc,
Oh Gre and totally destroyed. Two large
grist mills were likewise burned, after .oul
army bad ground a sufficient supply of coru
meal. Twenty thousand bushels of corr
fell into our hands, and was speedily con
verted into corn cakes for the hungry sol
diers. Nearly every building in Meridian
was destroyed save those which were oc
cupied, and the smoking ruins with theil
blackened walls and chimneys standing a;
giant sentinels over the sorrowful scene
sent a thrill Of pity to the hearts Of thos.
stern war aud military necessity compelled
to apply the torch. @ De. ''-'. l-h 7 "
A number of small expeditions were SEN
the purpose of destroying whatever NIGH
| bSuVut tnC sACgctiIoh. <AhApuE paw,
devastated were Enterprise, Marion. Quit
man, Hillsboro, Canton, Lake Station, De
eathr, Bolton, and Lauderdale Springs. A.
Enterprise, the depot, two -four mills, l5,
600 bushels of corn, 1000 bales of fine cot
ton branded G. 8. A., two military hospitals
and several new buildings connected with ,
parole camp were laid in ashes. oa..X OFT
:. Al Marion the railroad station, wood
house, and lew small buildings were burn
ed. ,Quitlnan was visited, and two ,foul
mills, "a fine saw mill, railroad depot ant
other storage buildings, with several lthous
and feet of lumber, fell a prey to tho fir,
king, At Hillsboro several stores were SO
on fire. Seventeen damaged locomotives
six locomotives in fine running order,
number of cars, and repair shop, witt
hand cars, quantities of sleepers, and too
house, were destroyed at Oanton-aH be
longing to the Mississippi Central Railroad
No private property was molestsd or in
jured at Canton, the inhabitants never hsy
ing fred upon our troops. baiei'a r~.i.o
100 THE TERRIBLE ooNscaIProN. 'l.a'
As general thing, the sentiment of tn
people seemed to be one Of dependency a
the idea of Southern independence, o
WEAKNESS with the war, and willingness [,