Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-13
The Navy Department has received the fol

The Navy Department has received the fol
lowing interesting dispatches:
MIseIssIPPI SQUADRON, Flag ship Fairy
Clifton, Tenn, Jan. 3. 1865. Sir:-Intelligent
escaped prisoners report that Hood crossed
the Tennessee at cambridge, six miles above
Florence, above Little Muscle Shoals, and a,
the foot of Big Muscle Shoals.
Florence is the head Of steam boat navigation.
ard there Ho1d crossed last fall, securing his
pontoons to the piers Of the railroad bridge.
Gen. jackson crossed either at the military
ferry, one mile below Florence, or above the
Muscle Shoals. cambridge is not a regular
ferry. The rebels boosted to the escaped pris-
oners that the gunboats could not cross the
shoals to reach them; and my pilot declared Ii
was impractcabe for the enemy to cross there,
owing to the swift water, or for me to get there
with the Neosho, drawing five feet, owing to
the swift and shallow water on the Little
Muscle Shoals, which are rocky, uneven and
dangerous.
made reconnaissance, however, and be.
lieye l should have succeeded in reaching
cambridge with an effective force, capable of
destroying Hoods pontoons, In spite of all op-
position he could make, had not the sudden
and rapid fan of the river. and the prevalence
on Little Muscle Shoals.
am eratifled to enclose a copy of General
Thomas last dispatch, dated December Both,
IN which he is kind enough to say that the
efficient cooperation OF the Navy on the Ten
nessee has contributed largely to the demon.
alization Of Hoods army, and the General ten
ders his hearty thanks for the cordial co opera.
ton of the Navy during the last thirty DAYS
In ttis important and brief campaign the fol-
lowing great results have been achieved:
1900 killed, wounded. and prisoners; 10 Cen
eral ofhcers, do, do, do; 20 guns taken by the
army, besides two guns DESTROYED by the
Navy: over 5000 stand Of small arms captured,
fifteen or twenty ammunition wagons aban.
doned, and great quantity Of ammunition
destroyed.
Gen. Smith informs me he never knew such
bad weather, &c. as Gen. Thomas encountered
In the pursuit OF Hood. Gen. Croxton. of the
cavalry, makes the same report Of the bad con-
ditioE of the roads. Hood is indebted to the
safety OF his shattered army to the worst de-
scrlption OF winter weather and roads, and to
crossing the shoals when the river was falling
fast, and in fog 1t is confidently predicted
that ne will not again attempt to cross the
Tennessee river.
/ ought TO mention that the destruction of
pontoons and ferry flats at Carriers Ferry, IL
miles below Florence, and indeed, all along
the river IRON the vicinity of Johnsonville to
Florence, g distance of us miles, has cut off
the retreat OF Hoods demoralzed and scattered
army, and filled the woods, as Gen. Croxton
informs me, with stragglers, whom his cavalry
are constantly capturing.
The operations OF the navy have been active
and untiriBg.
1 have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Admiral Comd'g Miss. squadron.
Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary Of the Navy.
U. S. MILITARY TELEGRAPH, PADUoAH,
KY, December 81, 186i.-ToRear admiral s. r.
Lee, Commanding Mississippi Squadron Your
two telesraphs have been received.
We have been pressing the rank as hard as
the condition OF the roads would permit, and
have succeeded in taking some few prisoners,
probably some five or six hundred, since the
enemy crossed Duck river. From the best in
formation l have at this time, Hoods losses
since he invaded the State Of Tennessee sum
up as follows:-Six general officers killed, six
wounded and one taken prsoner-at Franklin
Thirteen in all. ana about six thousand men
killed, wounded and taken prisoners at the
same battle.
On the Sth instant, at Murfreesboro', he had
one general officer wounded, about one thou
sand men killed, and two hundred and Sc ven
taken prisoners. and lost two pieces OF artillery.
In The two battles of the 18th and 10th, before
Nashville, he has one Lieutenant General
severely wounded, one Major General and
three Rrigadier Generals, with four thousand
four hundred and sixty-two officers and men
made prisoners, besides losing fifty three pieces
OF artillery and three thousand stand of SIN ALL
arms.
During his retreat we have captured fifteen
more guns, and from fifteen hundred TO two
thousand prisoners. and q large number of
smali-arms have been picked up by the way
Citizensreport that he passed this place with his
army completely disorganiZed except the rear
guard, composed OF about five thousand men.
He destroyed a considerable amount of ammu.
milton at this place, besides abandoning an
ammunition train of fifteen to twenty wagons
about mile beyond. Your efficient CO opera.
ton on Tennessee river las contributed largely
to the decentralization Of Hoods army.
1t gives me great pleasure to tender to yon
your officers and men my hearty thanks for
your cordial CO. operation during the opera
tons OF the past thirty days.
q. FL. THOMAS, Major General.