The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-01
6bt ganaster @a5etts,
Interesting Letter from Ghe First Ohio
Cavalry.
MACON. Ca, April 29th, '65.


friends for some six weeks, and not
knowing that some may be anxious to
hear of our whereabouts, and your pa
per having many readers who have
relatives in Company F, First Ohio
Volunteer Cavalry, l have taken it
upon myself to give You a sketch of
our march to this part OF rebeldom
We struck our tents on the morning
OF the 22d of March at ChickaSaw
Bluffs, Ala, on the Tennessee river.
Our command consisted of three Di-
visions Of cavalry under command Of
Brovet Major General Wilson, Pho
weather was pleasant and our march
rapid, making as high as 80 miles
some days. Nothing worthy Of note
took place until the 2Gth, when we
reached Jasper, whore wo put one
company to flight, killing the post
commander and capturing six. Our
regiment bad FIVE captured, one from
our Company-Bushrod Glick-but
they all escaped and are with their
commands. All went on smoothly un.
til tho 2eth, when We again struck
the Johnnics on tho south side Of the
Cabawba river, whore considerable
skirmish took place. What the re-
suit was on thoir side am not able
to say, but am sure there was was no
one hurt on ours.
The next morning we started and
skirmishcd all day reaching Monte
Valley at about 10 O'Clock that night,
and | suppose it was the intention to
Law over one day, but about 10 o'clock
they advanced and drove in our pick
cts. when to horse was sounded, and
in few minutes the chvairy could
be seen Lighting out rs last as their
noble steods could bear them. We
drove them fifteen miles that after
noon, killing fifteen and woundiug as
many more, while our loss was only
five wounded The next morning,
April lst, tho usual ronrinc Of shir.
mishng commenced, and they seemed
determined not to be driven any fur.
thcr. They made stand AT every
cross road and every rising piece Of
ground, but we kept urging them
along until we reached n place called
Plantersvillo-- (somo call it Naples
Vile Station) where they thought to
give us II warm reception We met
tho notorious Gcl, Forrest with be.
tween six aud seven thousand OF his
gang OF maraudors, with slX pieces Of
artillery, when tho ball opened in
good earnest, but in The short space OF
one hour we had taken iuar pieces OF
artillery, 1900 prisoners, killed and
wounded over 200, while the balance
made good their retreat toward Selma,
while the hero OF Fort Pillow got
away with two small sabre cuts
am not able to give you the loss on
our side, but it was small The Ioss
Of our regiment was as follows Cor,
poraI Sbowback, Co, B killed. Ser
gcant Franklin Allen, Ca. Il, severely
wounded, perhaps mortality Corporal
Wallace Graham, Co. +, slightly in
knee.
Sunday, April 2d, moved ont about
sun up, nothing occurring moro than
the usual skirmishcs, until woarrivod
Mt their Qualifications around Selma
which wcro very formidable, aud us
they supposed, imprcgnabIc. h cry
thing being ready, the assault was
made about 5 O'Clock, p NJ, They
opened on our boys with one 32 lb
Parrottand a score OF field pieces to.
gether with thousand Of small arms,
but did not as much rs choct our COT,
uNn, and in one hour and seven min.
u.cs the boys were in town. and the
chivary on the skcdaddlc,cNctpt 2lOp,
which we placed in the bull pen they
had built to keep Iunks in. The
number Of their killed aud wounded
did not learn, but heard citizens say
il was ncar four hundred; neither can
tell you the loss on our side, The
loss Of tho 1st Ohio was nothing, as
they were not engaged
The next day we secuted on the
roads that the remainder of their
shattered army rotrcatcd on, and
brought in nino pieces % artillery
which they had left stuck in the md
They were completely dcmoraizcd,
and did not Ike Gcu. W ilson'H style
OF ighling We captured 200 pieces
Of artillery on the field and in their
arscnals, aud about one million rounds
ofammnnition, besides small arms and
ammunition innume,ablc We de.
strOyGd their arscnas, foundry, ma,
chine shops, warehouses and drpots,
together with greater portion OF the
town,
We layed there until the 10th, when
we again resumed our march in the
direction Of Montgomery which place
we took possession of without any
resistance, they having evacuated four
days previous. All private property
was protected, bit all government
works and property were destroyed,
The stars and stripes wore hosled
high above tho rcbol rug on The State
House whore the Confederate Congress
first assembled We halted there one
day, and then started for Columbus,
Ga, n distance of 10 miles, nothing
OF note lrauspiring moro than tho
usual skirmishing which We have be.
come so uspl Ia thnt ,vo thinI, nll ia