, 1864-03-04
THE FLORIDA EXPEDITION,
The Defeat at Olustee.
OUR FORCES LEO INTO 4 TRAP.
a Three Hours Engagement.
Heroic Fighting Against Heavy
Odds.
OUR LOSS TWELVE HUNDRED,
Five Guns Captured by ahe Encmy-The
:HAtue-FieId and the; xVoundcd In
the Possession Of the Rcbels-Re-
treat of tho Army to Jackson
ENo-Ocstruction 0fStorcs,
Ammun1aton, &cs


:Ratue-FleId and t,e wounded In
the P0sseKsion Of the Rcbcls-Re-
trcat oftho Army to Jackson
ENl0-Dcstruc1on OTStorCs@
Ammun1aton, dc.
OK HSaa2 Taa1s cos1o5o1s1aE, n, nosF74E Sun
HILTON HEAD, S. G., Feb, y 1864.
On Ihursday, Feb. 18, Gen Seymour and
bis stat left Jacksonville, aud reached Bald
WIN, q miles distant, the Same evening.
aere % he nd e established an important aero:
OF supplies for the army he was leading into
The field. At:this point the two railroads Of
tlo1tdn crpB8- each other, Cars had been
rlaced on the track, and locomotive was in
forward state Of reconstruction for service
on the road from Jacksonville. Large
amounts Of food, ordnance and clothing had
seen hauled up TO Baldwin BY. horse power.
From Baldwin, on the morning OF tie 10th
Of February, the General and his staff moved
forward to Barber's Station, u miles further,
near the railroad Here were encamped the
brigade commanded by Coils Barton, Haw-
neighborhood, also, were the 40th regiment
Massachusetts mounted infantry, Col. Henry;
the Independent battalion Of massachusetts,
cavalry, under Major Stevens; and the artil-
lery, consisting Of Capt. HnmIlton's, Capt,
Langdon's, and Capt Elders batteries, as
we'll as q section Of The Sd r. I. artillery. In
all, the force amounted to about 20 cannon,
400 cavalry, and 4,50o infantry. This was in
tended to operate against an enemy whose
strength was reported to be Is, 900 men, un-
der Gen. Gardiner Tor Gardner, who was
said to have recently arrived from Georgia,
shanbles Of the Confedezacy from the inva-
sion OF the Union aFmy.
On tho morning Of tic Goth. at about nine
O'Clock, the troops set out to find the enemy,
moving in three lines, almost parallel to the
infn ae1 In Lab
the following day, unless the enemy should
dispute the way. The route was through the
unvarying pine forests Of the country, over
immense levels where only the pines and the
impenctrablo to the eye or tho foot Of man.
On Monday, the army arrived at sanderson,
railroad station, surrounded by few
houses, inhabited by turpentine farmers.
Hero the most positive statements were made
as to the large force that awaited tho Union
lists, not more than ten miles beyond.
The residents predicted that our men would
return before night, md get there in more Of
hurry than they were when they pressed
forward. Again the devoted soldiers formed,
and set out In three columns, keeping, IS be-
tore, ts, , nsar the 1ailroaa track The column on
New 4ork, In command Of his brigade, con-
sisting Of tho 47th, Ash, and 115th New York
regiments. The column In the centre was
made up Of the cavalry, Ander Major Stevens,
nc mounted infantry, under Col Guy V.
and Tie 9Th New Hampshire (Col. Abbott
The left was commanded by Col. Montgom-
cry, under whom were the 5ith Massachu-
sctts {Col. Uaflowell), the lst North Caro-
lima Iieut. Col. Reed, and the sth U. s. |
Vols, under Col. Fribley.
About six miles from Sandcrson, the rebel
pickets were driven In by our cavalry, and
tell back upon their main forces, posted be
tween swamps about two miles from olustce,
a railroad statfon ten miles beyond Sander
son: The railroad intersected their position.
Their line rested upon the Fight of in Garth |
work, very low and slight, and protected BY |
riae-pits. In their center they were defend |
Cd By swamp. On their left WINS slight |
elevation concealed by pines, among which |
their cavalry was drawn up: On the railroad |
track battery was placed to ope1utc against
the LEFT of our line, or capable Of being tuIn-
cd against the center. A 1itled gun was
mounted on truck, and commanded the |
road. sharpshootera swarmed In the pine
tofs: E.. ro.;,,.n c,,os.,, ~. g., ,.,,.,, c
troops to occupy, ana which they did occupy |
during the temporary e11gcncles Of the occa- |
sion, was between two sWampa; TINT one ia |
our front prevented charge upon the rcbels' |
iront-that one behind was to Impede our re- |
treat. The railroad could only be reached by |
mense dctour. To fall away from the rail- |
road Was to cut ourselves OF from our re- |
serves, which were csminE up on the left of !
trn,r wb,ch -" sSeo Wos raa,s sne se't @ VI ons
Nathin" oo,,1a 49, haa, muS heat est tac lsse!se.
mora cIz1ir acnn,escad ~ tS P.nnae4 ra ~; 2
1hnia sehs,rn na1 S.,,.,r urau aae,tta We au.s -!
Issue just as It stood, pushed his guns into |
position upon low ground about eighty ya1ds
from the nearest rebel battery, and saw his /
matched canSnin,;tr A"' u""" "Alu uh-
JThe foreeninr "a FINN tbe Now y,,k n-n
u,l,, corrcsnondent ~ 80 ,a,s ~" ~ oae ITO 1,.o'
tion of the battle and what followed from tho
New York IUues' account.1
r,,. n,1rir
TIM ro,d fn,,,, po.ha-,1 -.
parallel with thc rairnad crossinr @ + GtS ~ mes
Fa1s on m orc-nra ~ ~, 1tu9S H II at inter.
me of tiese cEoss;-,r ~ ,a.a utnes; st =. was az
was commenced Thss oad ~ ~. tha 1ne ae,n ,nsn.
reached fhis no;nt at = p ~ ~ ~ .ns eoi1M9
mi rcstcd fram tbe f;n,a 4ha, ~. na nsn nno
n : 4 M The nsna1 hoit ~ a Ia<. ,a;.s.s,
ererv honr WINS of cnnrsc ~ nhaerrna ih,uues hnt @
hai1 thaS t.staa sn pn ~ ttf n destee. Ne!thcr
no. fsd;nns ,n ~, vud ot 1900 mus
-on5 af1aao a.Soae .aaIen - sn.esa nues, over
vau ~ .uosg sanu, .. ooggy turl or covered
1.a Anes,ueeg WIN H1doy 1e.y wafer, me troops,
s,t1a5s SAnuuseu, 3aln.' nunEIy ana lli,con-
n1n @ IT,, were suddenly MY attacked By large
:eiS heh,aa ~ tT tV,tn ,.nnS WY nau gonceaea Mm
siat -. Usumu enlGh "ooo, MMLng WIN COM
p!ae9nt saus!ection the entry o. our men
hot ~ KS H. agasn, se5y mocn alter INC manner
aa. IL .,p ans spi9er wonla nave me ny Walk into
" pa.ioI; BEFORE Ieaenlns INC battle ground,
.ol9net Hsnly. WIN has cavalry OF the indie
penaent ER17 Massacnusetts battalion and the
lotA Massacnnsetts mounted Infantry, came
Upon party OF nre mounted rebels who
we're . stationed oehind an Old deserted mill, a
lttle 10 ihe le15 Of the wond. A few shots
%efe e1enangeu ana theh INC rebels aed in
ne o1Iecuon o. tnelr mal1 1orce. captain
Langq9ns M! nattery o. fegutas @ artiile5y was
~ ha1t5 ntM a,7a -. sae n, celonei
henry halteQ unt! da"leJ's Dl1ga1e OF IN