Evansville daily journal., 1865-05-31
Wilson's Raid.
Macon, Ga. Nav.

macon, Ga, May, 1855.
Bditors EvansvllIs ursaI.
SIEs: ln my last letter, | believe, /
mentioned our preparations for raid
10 the interior of Alabama | will en-
deavor now, however, to give you and
the readers Of the Journal a sketch OF
the raid and it's damage 20 rebeldom, as
the Union readers would probably like
to kBoV something OF the success of
their friends, while the Bnuernuts, If
there be any such who read the Journal,
are probably anxious to know 20 what
| extent their friend have been injured
The command, c)usising Of the Ist
"a and 4,h Cavalry Divisions. under Mai
Gen. Wil,on, lef Eafport, Misc on the
! I'D Of March, snd after ten DAYS Of
hard riding. over bad roads and through
poor section Of country, we arrived at
and, after considerable fighting, took
Selma, Ala, with $500 prisoners, about
30 pieces Of artillery (some heavy seige
guns) q large quantity Of Qaartermas-
ter's and CommIssary stores; also de-
| stroyed several large fouhdries, two
arseDals, with "a vast amount Of ammu.
milton, and one powder factory Our
loss was light. The command halted
here for a few days rest
| Selma is a considerable place, sur.
rounded by beautiful level countrT,
and is defended by one strong hne OF
works, reaching from the river above to
| the river below town.
I On the 9th of April We crossed the
| Alabama river and took up line OF
mach for Montgomery, where We ar
rived on the 18th with but little oppos.-
| ton, as the enemy, alter destroying all
the cotton in the ,iiy, evacuated it on
/ tbe llth. The Mayor, with a hag Of
truce, met cur column outside the city
and surronderod II, in order 10 save it
| from fate IKE that of Selma. A few
/ miles out OF town our advance encoun-
! tered and had running fight with The
/ enemy's rear, as far as Mt Mieg4, fifteen
miles east Of Montgomery.
/ On the 18th We moved out fo7 Colum-
| bus, Ga From Tuskeega, Ala, the
command marched iu two columns One,
! the I'd sBd 18th Division, on Coiumbus
the other, the "a Brigade OF the lst Di-
vision on West Point, Ga. Ga the even
ing Of the 10th the column marching On
Columbus charged in and took the pace.
with $500 prisoners, upwards of 100
pieces OF artiIl, ~, aud several thousand
stand of small arms, destroyed two
bridges over the Chattahoochee, and all
the Government supplies aud trains of
cars,oi which there was quite number,
and on the 18th moved out for Macon.
The column marching on West Point
/ took The place, with 800 prisoners, and
/ destroyed several trains loaded with Gov.
srnmehl property that had been brought
from Montgomery, aud two bridges
over Chaitahoochee river On the
morning of the 2lst, when near the rebel
pickets at Macon, we learned that an
armiusice bad been agreed upon between
Sherman and Johnston. The column
moving up frolh Columbia, not knowing
/ OF the armistice, attacked the place Oh
the evening of the 18Th, and the l7th
! Indiana charged into town. The enemy
| Of course didn't show much fight A
I dispute arose between Gen. Wilson and
( Cobb, the Confederate General, as to
whether the rebels should be considered
prisoners Of war; but Wilson, | Judge,
ia good at arguing as we'll as fighting,
fpr the rebels we're put under guard next
I day
We are now encamped in beautiful
/ pine grove near Macon Trains are
running regularly from here 10 Atlanta,
Augusta and MilledgeviIle The boys
are all well, and don't appear 20 care
whether school keeps or not, although
they are little at loss for mails, aud
often wish for a Journal, which they
always hail as next 10 letter from
their ssvagesoothers and destroyers Of
calico
There are two papers printed here,
but they contain nothing more than
military orders and rumors
With much respect, am, &c,
JoHS J. URIR,
lst Lieut. Co. F, 4th Ind. Cav. Vols.