Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-27

through the sterile region Of North Ala
balna.
A light canvas pontoon train Of thirty
I boats, with the fixtures complete, trans
ported by fifty siX-mule wagons, and in
/ charge of a battalion of the twelfth Mis-
| souri, cavalry, Maj. J. NJ. Hubbard COM
manding, was also got ready TO accom-
pany the expedition.
The entire train in charge Of Capt. W.
/ f. Brown, Acting Chief Quartermaster,
numbered not far from two hundred and
| fifty wagons, escorted by fifteen hundred
| dismounted men Of the three divisions.
| These men were organized into battal-
ions and commanded by Major now Col.
Archer.
At daylight on the twenty-second Of
1 March, all the preliminary arrangements
/ having been perfected, and the order Of
march having been designated, the move
ment began.
The entire valley uf the Tennessee,
having been devastated by two years
of warfare was quite as destitute Of
army supplies rs the hilly country south
of il. In all directions for one hundred
ana twenty miles there was almost abso-
/ lutte destitution. II was, therefore, nee
/ essaTy to scatter the troops over wide
4 extent of country, and march As rapidly
J
/ was rendered safe by the fact that For
! rests forces were at that time near West
/ Point, Miss, one hundred and fifty miles
| southwest Of Passport, while R0ddy's
/ occupied MOnteVailo on the Alabama
/ and Tennessee River Railroad. nearly the
same distance to the southeast. By
starting on diVerging roads the enemy
was left in doubt rs TO our real object,
and compelled 10 watch equally Column
! bus. Tuscaloosa and Selma.
Upton's Division, followed by his train,
marched rapidly by the most easterly
/ route, passing by Barton's Station,
! ThrogmOrton's Mills, Russelville, Mount
! Hope and Jasper, TO Sanders Ferry on
! the west fork of the Black Warrior river.
Longs division marched by the way
of Cherokee Station and Frankfort; but
being encountered by the pOntOOn train,
and having mistaken the road by which
J il should have ascended the mountain,
was considerably delayed in reaching
| Russelville From this place it marched
directly south by the Tuscaloosa road
till it crossed Upper Bear Creek
thence turned TO the eastward
by the head Of Buttahatchie Creek,
crossed Byler's road near Thorn Hill, anC
struck RIackwater Creek about twenty
five miles from Jaspar. The crOs sing OF
the last mentioned stream and the road
for six miles beyond We're as bad "a could
be, but by industry everything was forced
through to Jaspar and the ford Of the
Warrior with but little loss Of time.
McCook's Division pursued the same
route TO Bear Creek on the Tuscaloosa
road, but instead Of turning TO the east
ward at that place, continued the march
toward Tuscaloosa as far as Eldridge and
thence east 10 Jaspar
In this order the different divisions
arrived at and crossed the two forks OF
the Black Warrior river.
The ford on the west branch was ex-
tremely difficult of approach as well as
of passage. The country on both sides,
very rugged and six hundred or seven
hundred feet above the bed Of the stream,
was entirely destitute of forage; the
stream itself was at the time likely 10
become entirely impossible by the rain
which threatened to occur at any mo-
men1. 1 had also heard al Jasper, on
the twenty-seventh, that part OF For
rests force, under Chalmers, was march,
ing by the way of Bridgeville toward
Tuscaloosa, and knew that if the true
direction OF our movement had been dis
covered. il would be but short time till
the balance of the rebel cavalry would
push in the same direction. ! therefore
directed my division commanders 10 re-
Bleuish the haversacks, see that the pack
animals were fully laden, 10 leave all the
wagons except the artillery, and march
with the greatest possible rapidity Uid bly,
ton. TO MOntevall0, | feltcOnfident that the
enemy would not relinquish his efforts
70 check the movement Of the troops in
the hope Of destroying our supply train
l thersit.7a left 1t between the two
streams, With Instructions to push on rs
far as ElyUon, where it would receive
further orders. BY great energy on the
part of commanding officers, the two
branches OF the Warrior were crossed,
each division losing few horses, but no
men,
At Elyton, on the evening of the
thirtieth' / directed zen. McCoOk TO de-
tach Croxton's Brigade with orders -
move on Tuscaloosa as rapidly Is posi-
ble, burn the pl2s..ic stores, military
school, bridges foundries, and factories
al That place, return toward the main
column by tie way Of Centreyille roai,
and reiOin ii at or in the vicinity Of
Selma. Beside covering our trains and
infilcting a heavy blow upon the enemy,
hoped by this detachment 70 develop
any movement on his part Intended 10
intercept my main column.
Gen. Upton's Division encountered q
few Rebel cavalry at Elyton, aut pushed
them rapidly acrOsss the Cahawba river
10 Montevallo. The Rebels having felled
trees into the ford, and otherwise Oh
structed il, the railroad bridge near Hills
boro gas fioored over by Gen. Wmslow.
Gen. Upton crossed his division and
pushed on rapidly to MO8t6vallg, where
he arrived late on the evening Of the
thirtieth. Long and McCook marched
bv the same route. In this region Gen.
Tptons Division destroyed the Red
Mountain, Central, Bibb and Columbi-
ana IruG Works, Cahawba Rolling RIill,
FIVE coliierios and mach valuable prop
erty. All Of these establishments were
of great extent and in full OpsTstiOn. /
arrived 1T MonteVaIlO on the afternoon
of March tiiirty-first, where / found Up-
tons Division ready to resume the march.
Direot!y after, the enemy made his- -qpsar-
ance Oh the Selma road. BY nay direction,
Gen. Upton moNei his Division out al
once. Gen. Aleyardzr3s brigade in adj
vance. After a sharp fight ana a hand-
some charge, Gen. Alexander drove tie
rebel cavalry, a part of Croszland' Ken
tucky Brigade sTd Roddy's Division,
rapidly and in great c64s4,lsi2n toward
Paudolph. The enemy endeavoflng 10
q Il
miles south Of sI0ntevallo, Gen. Upton
placed in position ana opened Gre Rod
ness Battery "Iu fourth United States
artillery, a,id pushing Winslow's Brigade
10 the front, they again heat hasty re-
tFeat, closely pursued and repeatedly
charged ~ sNinslOwis advance. About
fifty prisoners were taken with their
arms and accOutrements, and much other
loose materials were abandoned. The
galIantry Of men and officers had been
most C0HsgGcl3OI.s throughout the day,
and had resulted already Ia dhs rstab-
lishment of moral supremacy for the |
eons.
Ipton.s Division bivouaclled fourteen 4
miles south Of B4oEteyalio. and at dawn |
Of the next day, April fiIsf, paasl,eg for
ward to Randolph. At this point, IN /
pursuance of the order of march for the /
dav Gen. Upton turned TO the east for /
lie purEoss OF going by the way Of old |
Maples5ilie, and .iieace ~ the old Selma 1
road, while Gen. Long was Instructed 10 /
push forward on the new road.
At Randolph, Gen. Upton captured a I
ReDei ,sO,srier Just from CentIeville, ami 1
from his person TOOK tNo dispatches, one I
from Eri@.-15en. wv. il. Jaeksoni com
manainI one Of Forrest : Divisions, and 1
one lAOi8 MA. AllkACiHAlit AbAAN1A N-AAANA j
Of Staff From the first learned that 1
Forrest, ,--s'h ,-h a part Of his eommandWas.
in my front; this had also been obtainea I
fTola Prisoners; that jackson, with his
die ision ana all the Wagons and artillery 4
OF the Rebel cavalry, marching from 1us-
caloosd Ciu Trion toward Centreville,
had eucamped the night before at HIPS
plantation, three miles beyond ScOtts
Doro; that CrUXton's, with the brigade
detached az Elyton, had struck Jacl1son's
EesI esard at TriOn, and interpOsed HIM
sen tstweep It and the train: that Jack
son Lad discovered this and intended 70
attach CroSJon at daylight, April first
ieafl4ed rom The other dispatch that
Challaers had also arrived at Marion. Z
Ala, and bad been ordered TO cross to
the CO side Of Cahawba, near thai
place, for f@le pu4f,Oss of ioining Forrest
In uay front, or in the works 81 selma
I sIso learned that a force Of disn1lnf,.d
men were stationed at CentreviIIe. vitb
orders 10 hold the bridge over the Ce-
hawfa at that place as long as possible.
and II, no event let il fall into our hands
shortly after the interception Of these
di-natehes I received q dispatch from
CE5xton. written from Trion the night
b tore. irforroing me that he had struck