The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-12
WILSON'S EXPEDITION.


The Most Destructive Raid Of sh'
War..Georgia aud Alabama Cleaned
Ont Of, Rebel Material. 977r 400
NHw York, May 4.-The Herald's So
vannah correspondent of the 2Sth, say
that Gen. Wilson's famous raiding expedl
ton arrived here yesterday from Macon
Tho following is condensed account o
Gen. Wilson left Chickasaw, Ala, OF
the 22d of March. 1t is not proper to CIV
any statement of the number OF men unde'
his command. ~.
Ebenezer Church, near Plantersvllle
Ala, was captured after short engage
ment with Forests cavalry. 800 prison
ers and three guns were taken. 1910.
Forests forces were driven to the "eS'
of Catawba river and separated. a COL
umn was sent to Tuscaloosa, when was
captured, and much government properly
destroyed. =, 49, Dow WOO
cantnred on the Cd of April, with 2,1oo
prisoners, 80 guns in position and 20 IN
arsenal i'll. .:.,
We destroyed three rolling mills with
fixtures, a very large naval foundry, an
arsenal of great Importance in the confed-
eracy. powder works, magazines, and a
large number of cars.
He remained at Selma eight days. The
Alabama River was bridged $50 feet, the
operation occupying five days, from the
9Th till the 10th. D. $780, ....
The next place he attacked was Mont
somery, Ala, destroying all the bridges
on the Alabama and Tennessee Rivers;
also the railroad to Columbia was de-
stroyed. -, "a. -. j..
The enemy destroyed $4,000 bales Of
cotton. Montgomery surrendered without
assault. We destroyed two rolling mills,
and foundries, two magazines, one loco
motive, and sixty three cars. Five steam
boats were captured on the river near
Wetumpka, and also the nitre works.
The rebels burned $4,000 bales of cot
ton before evacuating. .....,
Columbus, Ga, eighty-fv miles dis
tant, was taken by assault by Gen. Upton
after dark on the 18th. 10000 prisoners
were captured, fifty-three guns, seven
cotton factories, 100000 bales of cotton,
and immense quantities of ordnance, quar-
termaster and commissary stores, large
arsenal, q pistol factory, an accoutrement
factory, naval foundry, rolling mill and
foundry, an arsenal foundry, thirteen loco
motives, over 200 cars, depots, machine
shops, &C., were captured and destroyed.
A gunboat mounting six 7-inch rifed
guns now called Jackson, but the name of
which has recently been changed, was
captured. ...' ..'.
Here detour to West Point was made
by LeGranges brigade, which attacked the
works and carried them by storm, cap
turing the garrison, $50 in number, and
four guns, and killed the rebel Gen. Tyler
in command. Fifteen locomotives were
destroyed, two hundred cars. and two large
factories in the vicinity. We destroyed
large quantities of Quartermaster and
Commissary stores at Griffin, and rail-
road bridg on the Selma and Montgom-
cry railroad. We captured along the road
five guns. 80
Macon was taken with opposition. It
has not been necessary as yet to destroy
any property, We captured four guer-
illas, Howell Cobb, Gustavus W. Smith,
formerly Street Inspector of New York
city, Robertson Mercer and Mccall. The
captures are thirty-two guns in position
in field and by assault, and 200 guns in
:arsenals and in store, with immense
amounts of ordnance, quartermaster. and
commissary stores and cotton and machi-
nary, railroad stock and other matters
various and numerous. III ,22.'s = no.
In the assault on Selma, Brig. Gen Eli
Long, of the I'd division, had command of
the right, and Brevet Maj. Gen Emory
Upton, Of the left. The preliminary as
sault by the escort was unsuccessful. The
I'd division charged over the works in
splendid style, carrying everything before
them. v.r ami r~.
The enemys force was from 5000 to
1000, mostly militia, and our assaulting
force was only 1850 Gen. Long was
wounded, and has arrived here en- route
for the north. .rr.H Ell, ...lt lr.
Our losses were $50, and the enemy
officially state their loss to have been be-
tween 400 and 500. Our whole loss in all
the expedition was only $50. ..g,. f..
A total distance of 481 miles was
marched in 20 days, averaging over 20
miles per day. py 31-3 II a.9Y 81.
NRw York, May 5.-The Heralds cor
respondent with Wilson's expedition fur.
nishes additional details of the march
through Alabama and Georgia. u4 ..l %
Of the battle at Ebenezer Church, BIZ
says: This engagement took place at q
point called Ebenezer Church, about TWEEN
ty-fve miles from Selma. The rebels were
entrenched in woods, and bad six pieces
of artillery in position. They were about
5000 strong, commanded by Forrest
Chalmers, Armstrong and Adams. After
considerable firing on both sides, two com.
panies Of the 18th Indiana, led by Captain
Taylor, charged them with the sabre, driv'
ing their gunners from the guns, capturing
one battery of three guns, and scattering
the rebels in all directions. While they
were thus demoralizing the rebels, the q
brigade Of the 4th division, which had beer
sent around to the left, arrived, charges
and completely routed the enemy.
Our loss in this engagement was abou
~nA vpnundo1 ~. W. 49,