, 1865-05-09

Ii. u.
MACON, Ga, Ap'll p. 1865.
EaIiy en- the morning Of The I'D Of March
last, three divisions If the CORDS struck tents
and started Southwatd, travelling By three
roads running nearly parallel. Egerything
not actually essential IN the why of baggage
was leil behind, and transportation limited
TO headquartsrs wagons. pack mules, md
sixty day 3s' rations OF coffee aud sugar. The
command, with the exception OF about sIx
hundred nen. were well mounted and
equipped, and In fine spirits and condition.
Until we arrived ut the Black War,ior river
found nothing worthy OF description rx-
ccrt pe, ,laps the
CROSSING TIE DLACE WARRIOR RIVER.
On the Goth instant We commenced cross
ing the Mulberry fork Of thu BlacE Warrior
river. his was TN exceedingly difficult task,
US the bed Of the stream was rocky and un.
even, the water deep and the current swift.
We We're occupied mcst Of the first dav in
crossing. eonlc five soldiers and twelve or
fifteen horses ard mules were swept dawn
stream and drowned. The wagon traiua
were Obliged to pontoon before they could
Cross.
DESTROYING PROPERTY.
Between the Black Warrior river and the
Town Of Monteyal1o were located a Iarre
number Of furnaces, foundries, machine
khtps, rolling mills, cotton warehouses;, &c.
Thtec were all burned. including tho exten.
tai Rolling Mill, just competed. We met
no enemy Of any strength or Importance
until The Fourth division, under General
UpttD, in the advance, were fired upon by
about SIX hund,e ed rebels, under Rhoddy, VINO
were iut1enchea behind rail barrieades,
saber charge by the advance guard soou fet
them to light. They kept M skirmfsbinp
aleng The +. nd. however, and many OF then
paid the penalty Of their tcincfit3 with tlleir
lives. Nothing else OF importance occurred
until the
BATTLE OF EBENEzER CHURCH,
This engagement to9k placc at q poInt
called Ebcntzer Church, about tweuty-avc
miles from Selma. The rebels were int:ench-
ed in the woods, and had SIX pieces Of artiI.
lcry In position. Tht were about 5 W5 st, on~ No.
commanded By, Forrest, Chalmers, Armstrong
and Adams. After considerable flring on
both sides, two companies Of the 18th indI
ana, led By Captain Taylor, charged them
with ths sabre, diving their gunners from
thc artillery, Capturing one battery of three
guns, and scattering the enemy 10 oil direc.
tious. While thay were thus demoralz:ng
the rebels, the I'd brigade Of the 4th division,
which had been sent on road to the left. Or.
rived, charged and completely routed the en-
cu.y. Our loss in this engagement was about
thirty IN Killed and wouuuSd. We Captured
Cvrr Su rebels, and their loss in killed aud
wounded was heavier than ours. We also
captulcd TOUR pieces Of artilltry and many
small arms.
Captain Taylor was killed, after having
wounded General Forrest in the arm with his
slber.
TIE DATTDE OF SELMA
Our troops arrived in front Of the fortif1c.-
tons 0. Selma ut about o'clock on the even
Ing Of the I'd Of April. They wers Immediate
u lo1med In line Of battle, the I'd division oc-
culyiI z the right OF the center Of tho works,
anu the 4ih division the extreme left.
The fortiicatlons consisted Of i double line
Of eartlworEs, in seml-circle, from bank to
bank Of the Alabama river. There were als3
thirty two bastions and two formidable for;s
In trcnt Of the first line of works wls q row
Of palisades, SIX feet high, which, together
viii the lna,shy nature Of the ground over
which the charge WAS made, rendered the
carthwork very diff :u1t to access.
The works we're Offended by seven thous.
~ Il en-, with some thirty pieces ofartiI[ery,
fo.1fad in line, di.nlouuted and skirmlsh
line formed.
hrisk fire was Kept up by our skirmlsh-
ers 9nd tie rebels until about Ave o'clock.
when, ut sigtal from the Chicago Do4ri Of
Ttace bnttery, our fo:ces charged down up.
on tic bftastwoiks, yelling like demons.
The rebels poured 1nurdetous trc Of mus
I-uy 4nJ lti]lery into the ranks, but, uvll-
Ing ca:.nted, our troops bore steadily for
ward. ard within fifteen minutes had scaled
The wcrks and p>rc .davlng the enemy TO-
wards the river in 7t<ribly demora.ized
condition. Many Of them we're drowned in
attempting to cross the RIVER, although d few
succeeded in crossing and escaping.
We captured txo thousand four hundred
prisoners ard thirty-two pieces OF artillery
in line, besides over seventy pieces in the ar
eena1s. Our loss WIS three hundred and
twtnty -four in killed, wounded and missing,
ard that Of the rebels was equally es helvy.
All the arsenals and other government
property at Selma we're burned.
MURDER or LIEUT.. ROYCE AND his MEN,
Lieutenant Royce, 4th United States cayl1-
r., Chief Of scouts, With party Of some
Twelve NTH, accidentally rau upon General
Forrest and his escort, few miles from Sell
ma. As soon rs he sa1 his situation the
I4ielt.nsnt threw down hla arms and surren-
slot, with bis men. This ia well authentica-
ted and is only q repetition Of Forests ope-
1atiors at Fort Pillow. Lieutenant Royce's
body WAS secured, and buried in the cemetery
at Selma With military honors. Tile Other
officers were also buried with like obscquies.
OCCUPATION OF MONTGOMERY.
We remained in Selma six days, md on tho
bridge, and on the 9th started r5r Mout-
EotncTy-
La Gfapge's brigade, Of the lat division, ar
rived before Montgomery on the evening Of
the 18th inst, and Was met by depura:ton
Of citizens, heoded by the Mayor, who sur
rendered the city, aud It Tas quietly taken
preparing 10 def nd the place. but suddenly
clat gtd their minds, and cy1cuatcd, u1ter
hay,p. burned over two hundred and Zine
Thousand balcs OF cotton, to keep It from
falling into our hams.
CAPTURE OF COLUMBUS.
From Montgomery we proceeded immcdi-
ate,y towards Columbus, after having de-
birtycd oil the government property. The
fore Tic tortf1cations on the evening OF tho
1G:h. At o'c1hck, under cover Of the dnrk-
ness. the division WAS formed in line of bat
tie, and tho lst brigade, commanded By Gen.
Wips]ow, attacked the works. The rebels
VIC: undoubtedly take n By surprise, although
they made very stubborn resistance. Our
men sc,led the works and took possession Of
the town, with two thousand prisoners and |
ever seventy pieces CT artillery. Here, as in
the o. her placts, all the Government property,
e. insisting Of laIge arstna1 and factories, to-
gether with two trains Of cars, with tue loco |
motives, cotton, mills, DC, were burned.
Our loss wss tive Killed and twelve wound |
ed that Of the rebels much greater.
MACON.
After skirnishirg all day on tho 21st inst,
with force of 1ehtls in front, we wer.. met |
fourteen miles outs Go Macon ~by flag of |
t. uce, and ::1t eeagc from General Howell |
Cobb, snYinc that m aImfstice had been
agreed upon between Generals Sherman and !
johnston for suspension Of ofhostillttes, with !
a view to final settlement Of our dtll.u tics. |
Tie message WAS received by Col. AIinty
commanding the I'd division, Gen. Wilson ut
,he time beng several miles in the rear. CO..
N n1y regarded the message as ruse for the
puIrssc ii stopping our advance until rein
ior ct r2epts could reach them, aud conse- |
quently sent the following reply:
HEADQUARTERS, C. c IN FIELD
NEAR MACON. Ga, April Fl, 1865.
CESEnAI-I have recelyed the dispatch from |
Ger to Mai. Gen. y i1sou. few miles IN my rear