Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-07-30
General Smiths Expedition.

days latter news from Memphis A cavalry
officer, who accompanied Genersl bmith's
Expedition, gives the particulars of the en-
the operations Of Our forces.
The expedition consisted Of division Of
cavalry and infantry, and o brigade VI COL
orcd troops.
General Smith outmannuvred Generals
S. ID. Lee and N D. Forrest throughout the
entire movement, and soundly whipped the
Rebels in five different engagements Tho
battle at Tupelo, Miss, was a very severe
one. 1t was fought on the 18th instant.
The enemy was totally defeated and terribly
punished by our cavalry and negro troops,
who bore the brunt of the battle and fought
with remarkable steadiuess and valor.
Another engagement: Bucceex3cd this 8. night,
and the rebels were disastrcrsly repulsed,
as they assaulted us behind tcu possEy de-
fcnses.
On the 18th another desperate battle oc-
Cured. General Fo-Toc; led thrce despe-
rate charges in person upon our lines, every
one of which was repulsed and the enemy
driven back with great slaughter.
On the night of the 18th The iaa. days
rations were distributed, aal the expedition
started to return, followed ~ Buford's
Rebel Cavalry Division. wL,of vsa gepulsed
on the 10th. and finally .l;-eGccd leaving
our forces to continue thu. march unmo-
lcstcd
From the night of the 1S,h to tie night
Cf the 10Th our troops were without sup-
plies. and were obliged to suhsist on the
country; but on arriving at Salem supply
trains were met. and the men were copious-
" ted and rested
On the Goth ,fc expedition reached La
grange with loss, all told, of only five
hundred men. Not single gun or wagon
was lost or abandoned during the entire
movement. General Gricrsun says the Re
bel loss cannCt be less tnan four thousand
Dispatches captured from the Rct-is 10y Gen
eral Hatch admit a loss of twenty-four hun
dred. Among the Rebels killed are Gen.
erals Columbus, Faulkner Mowbray, Nel-
son, Forrest and Harrison and Col. GIier.
Colonel wilkins nt the Ninth Minnesota.
and Lieutenant Mcmahon. uf the Ninth llh-
nois, are the only Federal officers known to
have been killed. Our wounded were Ar
riving at Memphis
Our troops brought in 2n00 prisoners.
The Rebel dead were burned hy our men ON
several occasions, Forrest refusing 10 make
detail temporarily for tina, duty.
The ste amer -. CLvj. from White river,
arrived at Memphis on the 2lst, bringing
the first news from that region for over Il
week past She reports the river free from
gucrri!laS, and all the boats in the stream
safe. six steamers were on their way down,
among them the Commercial, with 900 bale,
of cotton.
MEMPHIS, iUly Son the 18th instant
Major-Gcncral WashJurnc sent out force ol
cavalry, infantry, and artillery, from La
grange. under Mainr-Grncrul Smih and Bri-
D iiYr 4. ar,l ~ Nj
/ instructions to march in pursuit OF General
/ Forrest and bring him to bay, fight and whip
him.
! 1t was known that General Smith had
/ the ability, skill, force and personal sighting
, qualities TO insure success, sn,l sanguin,
/ hopes are entertained MS to the result. He
/ was ordered to pursue Ferfest to Columbus
Mississippi, if he dld not oversize him on
this side Day after day psssed by, and
nothing was heard OF the expedition, whose
5 location could not hc guessed within hun,
drcd miles by the public
! Again and again we have had the asSer
tions of secc>h sympathiZcrS that Forrest
( would either keep nut oi the way ur get 50
favorable position and have such supcri
! ority of force that he would he victorious
Day after day rumorS uf Federal disaster
were set aloat, when there WAS not single
fact known ON which To base u speculation
So numerous have been these CanardS that
they ut last attracted little attention. ans
everybody waited for authentic Intelligence
1t Is now here. II Is aStouni;ngtO the enc
mics of the Union. Ii demonstrates tha
General Sturgis' defeat has been wiped out
and that the Rebel cause in this part of tn,
country has gone up.
Nothing was heard from the expedition
until to day, when General NaShbune II
ceiycd advices from General Smith, from
which it is learned that he has triumphant,
executed the orders given hin, and has thu
again rendered essential service TO tn
cause of the country.
\ despatch received 10y General Wash
burnc from General Smith Say>:-"We me
Lee, Forrest and Walker at Tuprlo, an,
whipped them badly IN three days, our los
is small compared with that of the Rebels.
bring back everything in good order
nothing lost.
Tupelo is on the Mobile and Ohio Rail
road, about sixty miles from Cnrinth.
scout that has since come in reports ia
cncmy's loss at two thousand five hundre,
men, while our entire loss, it is believed
will not exceed three hundred men.
The defeat was overwhelming. The Re
belS fought desperately, but the steaiy yaiu
of the forces fighting Tor the Union carrie,
all before them, and at last the Rebels brok
and fled, desperately seeking to save thei
lives.
From other persons who have come in
is learned that the Rebel General Falknc
is killed, and Gen, Forrest badly wounded
One account Is that Gen. Forrest died of hi
wounds, The first report relative 10 ten
cral Forrest gave details that lie was wOun
dcd in the back, and that his horse an,
cquiPoments were captured.
The news comes in such shape, and from
such apparently reliable sources, that W
may be assured that General Smiths modes
despatch will be more than confirmed W
may be assured, also, that the rebels hay
suffered a crushing defeat.
Yesterday morning u man on horsebacl
came dashing towar0s the cily from N
eaStCrly direction, and, on being challenge,
by the picScts about two miles out, state,
that he was the bearer of Important intelli
gencc' and wished to report at headquarters
Seeing that he had on his horse Unite,
States saddle they allowed him 20 pass,
lie rode in and r,ported at the Provos
MaTshals office, stating that be Was dc
scrter from FORESTS army; that Foyres
had met With disastrous defeat in his en-
gagcmcnt with Smith, Who played IN,
devil With them generally; that ho had be