Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-17

Atsn esFiy hour Saturday the ras1sra siartsd for
Stony creek depot on the Weldon rarosd, Broeeedhg
BY way Of LFtieton, Susssx eozaty, aboHt II oelocE
tssng the opls by Surprise Whis Il Lltietoa they
searched all be houses, sols horses sad hr0e open me
post Office sEd destroyed the letters They aso cap
iursd four wagons beleugng TO the 7th cavalry two %
which, aed with bacon were burnt Two otars con
tsnihg ammunltou tie invaders carried OF with thcIn
The party reaelsd Stony creek about o'clock Whsrs
they encountered bridge guard Of sixty South Caro-
lnz troops, who offered desperate resistance Alter
short fight The guardss captured having lost ten
Aiisd ana Fsegnasa seven ef the enemy were aie q
They burned Flt1haghs tavern Ct the creek de-
siroyed thu raj road hdge, and burned the depot builds
ing, wood sheds water tank, etc. The railroad em-
poyees and Others a. Stony creek made heir escape
but all rersated 10 fhs direction Of Wel6o After
naming thsre time Spears sHh bis fadsrs twisted
off 10 the direction Of Nottsay river bridge four miles
below snd SAID taey were going from there on 70 jar
| rBtt'ss Beideid, etc.
Later seeounis ssy that Spears and his raiders did
not burn the depot tie Stony creek; they
did burn the bridge, wood sheds, bridge timber lumber
and other articles belon gin tbs corapany Such
as they did net feed 10 their hosss the Yankees bnrat
Ihey tore up but Little OF the track. A shei passed
tbrougn the depot and another burEted in the second
/ story of the tavern.
The bridge guard sixty in number o into the Dit Of
the turntsbls nd for two and half hours offered the
most gallant resistance. They were nsly entirely sur
rouRded and forced to surrender Seven Of the Yam
kees HeIe killed aid several wounded. Au7ng the
| aillsd Lieut. John Msyss, whose death spears
deeply lsIDented saying that he the efficient
ofieer in his command Bat of tbs bridge guard
was "eunded, and be not fatally The dwelling Of lfr.
| Gee, near the creek, was burnt BY the enemy.
Accounts est msie the nrEber Of ths rsidiug party
at eighte hundred or two thousand slthough others
| think they nanbsrsd as least three thousand They
had ak piecesof artillery.
The Essmy's GassbOats Patrolliag the Rivsr.
Phe ensys forces are scattered throuz the narrow
neck Of land between the James nver on the one sids
aud the AppomattOx the other Their point OF dis
erabsrkation on the Jsmes river Is Bermuda Hundreds,
rom which point theE forces cross over 70 Port Wal
thai on the Appomsstox. The RunboAts patrol mp and
down each river, passing down from Port Waihull TO
the mouth OF the Appomsttoz shsllng on both sides
every spe likely to afford cover our sharpshoolers.
The enemy Easte vast deal Of ammunition in this
way, looking for "greenbacks and naked bateriss
StoTy Of YqKkee Dsssrtsrs from the Arug oftk,
SoKtk Side
Deserters are coming in rapidly from the enemy on
the south SIDE They al have their stories 10 tell They
represent that they lost very heavily in killed and
wounded II the battle Of SaturdAy-estmating their
loss At from TO two thousand
They say that CREST dissssisfscton exists in their
| army and that the chief Is The negro troops
several thousand being in The army now a. Bermuda
Hundreds. They report that Butler caused telegram
to be read 70 the troops early Saturday morning.
ing thai Grant had gained great victory over Lee
hsd driven hiE twenty miles and at last accounts was
still driving him The infamous cheat contrived by
Butler inspire the courage Of his men, was reeeive
with great applause, Of course
Deserers eli say that Gilnaores corps recently oPer
aing Morris island and in Florida, accompany the
expedition, and that Butler commands in person We
are inclined doubt this. The craven coward would
scarcely muster enough TO take the field Beside
told by officer who up the last hs q
Of TuC8 kuat bufier returned 10 Fortress Monroe
iast Fridsthat be came up 70 Bermuda Hundteds but
after ordering certain dispositions OF the troops went
down the river Accounts eontrBdetoTy Of his pres
| enee With the force the south side but ths
question will probably be soon decided by the events
! now transpiring there.
The Fight Near SpottsglUaHiR Court House Be-
tl0ssH FaEhHgh Lss and the EHemy.
From gentleman ions Of the trus patriots Of the
war; who participated sud wounded in the battle
near spottsyivanis Court House, hsve an intelit
gent and connected statement or the affair, Of which
! there have been many different versions.
II appears that the battle opened at Todd's tavern
sbOut mile ard a half above Spottgylyania Court
House. and lasted eon;inuoasy from Thursday to sun
day. The forces side portion Of Gen.
Fitzhugh Lees command and consisted Of Wiekhsuls
| aud Llma1s brgades. The tight Opened.on THURSDAY
] evening, Lomaxs brigade engaging the enemy and
driving them back diIgsnee. During that night
the enemy teok strong position, and on Friday the
fqht was renewed by Wiekhams brigade G.onlzx's
being beld in that day. ittlsn advance Of
the ground occupied on the day before. On Friday
night the enemy fell back behiod Todd's tavern their
advance being postsd within short distance Of the
building.
| or Saturday, it became the turn Of Lomaxs brigade
to engage the enemy, (Wekhans being held in
snd the fight opened CT early hour ard continued
Gil o'clock when forces fell back the old lines
occupied by them in the fight Of the second day L9-
held his position until evening wien he forced
bsck by the enemy the line held by u On the frss
day, In Of barricsde the road formed by
the telling Of trees Tbs enemy confirmed 20 press
and hers Gen. Fitzhugh Lss ordered up V9iekbsm 8
brigade deploying the enemy the right Of the road
I leading from TOddB tavern 20 SPOTS Taua Court
House, and Lomsxs on the ef with Gen. Fitzhugh Lee
commanding in person and passing up and down he
lines. He was said 70 be very cool and gavs orders 70
lis men who bad been dismounted Tor The Faost mart
in thz fight owing to tbs deRss f0reM and thick under.
growth. not 70 re until The enemy got within thirty
yards Of them. Then. continued he take good aim
andlet them have it, and then you to go over e.
ter them" Tbs eueI1y Continued 70 advance, when
GeR Ftzhugh Ice gave the praSr. "A = clear dlsli-e
voice, nre" Then snsued InosE dssPers.s and stub
born ngpt' resulting IN me ensmy being driven hsek
Our seeiog that kev ai gained the dav gave here
yeil-sea a. rebels only can-yshen the Yankees
broks and ran closely pursued by our men for dis
After this, Saturday night our fc ess withdrew
from the fatigue of battle and the thir Virginia cav
ay were posted As piekets at the bs rcsde for that
MBh| Eary sunday morning The Yankees strongly re-
inioreed during the night attacked the 3rd Virgins
savslry on posi- wh0 before the overwhelming num-
oeFs Of the enemy, continued fall fack until supports
could be brought rp This was quiekIy done and the
fight ragged until seven olock when Gen. Lee, see.
ing that his force wes too small to resist the enemy,
who were IN very heavy force With both cavalry sld
tnfautry began retire il the direction Of SpoIsYya.
MIA Court House, falling back slowly aud eonteFtiag
every inch Of ground At this critical junesure abou
ten 0elok n the morning. large forco OF our nfany
under Gen. Anderson up and succeeded in
puisiug the enemy with great slaughter Gen. Lee
stated in his official dispatch,
The enemy fought with CREST ssub5ornness, for be
was fighting 70 earTy important Pontto open ais
way dear 70 Fredericksburg. he had very iATEe
foEessso disLsiOna OF cavalry ard brigade Of rsgu-
lara all under immediate command of Gen Sed wick
n'ths fights Of Friday and Saturday OF Gen. Fitz-
hagh Lee Win the enemy We captured sixty prs
onsrs among whom I've six officers. They
report their l0ss at three four hundred Our
loss in tie lights about hundred and fifty
in killed. wounded and missing.
Our officers said 10 have displayed the most con-
spicuOusvxior n this fight. All al0ng the lines DIST
perfect hail OF bullets they rode che ring to
victory. While IN the act OF leading hi8 on. with
bis uptted, Col Owens had finger shot on. Not
stopping FOR this he deliberately drew his pistol with
his oher hand and shot the Yankee desd by his side
who had Just fred him There Is ore indtyidu al in
stance Of heroim that deserves De menoDed In tee
thleEss; Of the fight, and when lines Waysring
and the opposing forces within seventy five yards
Of each other, courier dsshed in between Them and
ehsered in their charge The nse Of the brave
| yOung man did rot learn.
Late adyiess from the Nortb say that Gen. Peck has
| been removed from the command in North Carolina,
and Gen Palmer, who hss been couamsndlug brigade
under Peck appointed 70 succeed hm. Il reported
that Gea Peck will oe assigned to duy Point Look
| out, as commander Of that post.