The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-03-17
and driven him back.


General Shorman LEFT his command
at Canton and came on with an escort
to this place. The troops moved from
there yesterday, and will be here in a
day or two, M
Some of the frnits of the expedition
are the destruction of three hundred
miles of railroad, cutting off all means
of transportation this side of the Tom
bigbee, burning thirty mills, three
thousand bales Of Confederate cotton,
destroying twenty-five locomotives,
one hundred cars, the capture of about
five hundred prisoners and between
ton thousand and fifteen thousand ne
groes, who are on their way TO this
place. Besides this, about three hun
dred wagons and several thousand hor-
scs and mules were taken. The enemy,
except a small cavalry force, was driv-
en- from the State, and all means of his
Occupying the country in force cut off
Our troops subsisted on the country,
and found large supplies Of corn, &C.,
for stock, and subsistence for the men.
Everything Was taken but what was
actual j necessary for the subsistence
of families residing on the line ofmarch
a great deal of property was destroy
ed and many houses burned in all the
towns we passed through-some of
them unnecessarily perhaps, but it is
accounted for by the fact that we did
not enter town, except Canton, from
which we We're not fired upon.
From Jackson to Meridian there is
nothing but succession of pine bar
rens and almost interminable swamps,
across which the Ponce" Corpsy under
the direction Of Captain Hickenlooper,
constructed many miles of corduroy
road before the trains could pass over.
have not time nor space to relate
incidents Of the trip, but report made
to General Polk by a citizen scout
whom he had sent out to ascertain our
numbers, intentions, destinations, &C.,
should not be lost, lie had probably
seen our wagon train, which required
five hours to pass given point, and
became frightened at it, as his official
report will show. 1t was that "there
were precisely one hundred and fifty
thousand Yanks, and that they were
coming like damnation that each one
had Il label on the front of his hat,
on which was the inscription, in
large letters, mobile or hell!P About
this time our cavalry entered the town
and the general mounted his horse and
skcdaddied. This was related to me
by citizens and is not romance.
The Republican also publishes some
letters captured by the expedition, from
which we extract the following:
"DEsPoNDENCY OF THE PEOPLE.
"BRooKHAvEN, Mississippi, January
19-"Dear Brother Hcnry-l have beer
owing you letter sometime, but have
neglected to write. Mr. Robbins got
homo yesterday. Iwent up to sec
him last night. He gave such {
glowing account of things at Mobile
that it' gave me the blues, and | have
felt very badly all day. He says al
the Yankees have to do is to attack
Mobile, and they will get it; that W.
have no Notifications there worth any
thing, and am much afraid that yor
will all be ordered there. ! cannot beal
To thinl- of SO" h";"ty t...iDV"or. \
81 do not feel much like going tt
parties while our country is in such
dreadful situation, and so much dis
trcss all through the country. In fact
| believe have almost dcspaircd o
ever again living as we did before th,
war ! am almost ready to give VI
everything as lost, but | trust it may
not be so. 4; Il X y
, 81 hardly ever see paper, and I d,
I, not know what is going on. Pa re
9 ccived letter from brother last weel;
! He is doing finely, and thinks if oil,
+, Abe gets the million men that he ha
called for, that he will not be able t
} whip us thcn; but while there is on
; that thinks that, there are hundred
, that think we arc already whipped.
trust the war will soon end, although
| sec no signs of it now, Write soon
and may God bless you.
"Your affcctionate sister,
"LIZZIE A. HOSKINS."
\ DISSATISFACTION OF THE SOLDIERS.
> A. soldier writes to his wife fror
! "CaWp near Jackson, February 4tl
. 1864, in this inglorious strain;
"The citizens and soldiers are in grea
: confusion here | have seen u grea
, many soldiers who say that they ar
! ! going home soon, think that thi
war will soon end, unless the soldier
I, should become more satisfied. | d
not know what may be brought abou
to reconcile them. / think the thin
! is nearly wound up
Col. Dahlsren's Alleged Orders.
i, The last attempt of the rebel leader
D to kindle anew the fires Of Souther