The Hickman courier., 1877-07-20
R card Of abe IAN KenGnc )
R"% sIsle:'s. =. =. a. with sOsal 8
Army Re.s.tntScenSea.
LcoHcLupEp. I

=coHcLU DED.
On the 81 June, the command crossed
Big and Little Bear rivers; Sd. on the
back track; Orb, st Tapelo; 7th, at Bald
wini 9Th, at Bonneville; 10Th, battle of
Hshsmingo Creek, and this was fif fight
ing can be called pre;ty) the prettiest
and most dAshing engagement the regi-
ment was in during the war Sturgess
was quietly (said to be taking his
punches and cocktails Al Bryces Y Roads.
(the centre Of his line). little thinking
that Forest was upon him, and so much
the easier the victory for us. From the
hrst charge, there was not a halt made
until the enemy was completely routed
and all their cannon and wagon trains
captured, though we suffered 'he loss of
several good men. One of Hickman
honored townsmcn, Capt. Z Rand e
thought he was killed and ,ras beautiful
~ laid out, but finding he had sufficient
strength, felt ior the wound and 10! the
clothing over his left breast was satura-
led wiIh-nO not blood-but with brandy
and he revived The Captain had in
passing captured medicine chest hastily
extracted bottle Of brandy, which he
placed in his side coat pocket and this
doubtless with n book he had in his pock
et saved his life. tor he lgds Knocked DOWN
and stunned by minnie ball which
struck the bottle aud book. but the only
serious hurt was found TO be, the loss
of the brandy.
Our division dismounted and fought as
infantry, aud in fact we never fought
any her way, except when retreatiug
and boIng closely pursued by the enemy.
Following this BATH, was one OF the most
extraordinary marches the history of the
war can record During the Nv enty four
houTS fntloVIuU he eparnv ,na~cI.d fra,,
he battle ground across from railroad to
railroad, aad ahoul ten miles beyond the
Mississippi Central railroad in the direc-
tion Of Memphis, distance OF about six
nNe- . x. en- Fhdtes. oar horses
having been brought up the command
started about twelve O'Clock at night in
pursuit, and followed al a lively pace du-
ring the entire day, capturing a good
many prisoners. The enemy got oil with
all their wagon mules and artillery horses
ard the citizens along the route told Us
thar there was generally three riders TO
horse or mu e. Ia the engagement oar
forces did not exceed five thousand meu;
l2th, on the move back; 18Th, arrived on
the battlefield and moved To GuutowH to
, camp; 1Uth, moved to Tupelo auI canped; !;
10Th, heavy detachment from the brig
ade seut To Ripley to watch and b. on
guard, the enemy was reported in
I
they did come, fourteen or fifteen thou
sand under command of Gen. Smith
Skirmishiug commenced AZ Ripley about
the 9th of July. In the meantime all our
forces in the department that could be
made available were concentrated at
fupeio. About the llth July. the bulk of
our forces moved out 10 POntatOc TO meet
the enemy. but they famed .us and NOV
ed on IN the direction of TUpelo; I5th
heavy skirmi~ hing both ia front and rear
Of the enemy l4th or l5tn, general en-
gtgement at Harrisburg lnear TupelO
The writer thinks that he can record this
AS being the severest engagement the
regiment was in during the war. Our
loss heavy. Lieut.. Colonel Sherrell was
killed. and Colonel Grassland and Major
Hale both wounded. Neither side could
claim victory. The fighting was con
tinued the next day, though no general
engagement as the enemy Commenced
retreating aud soon returned 10 Memphis;
18th, moved TO Shannon Station aud from
this time until ,he Sth August. with few
short moves remained in the neighbor-
hood of Shannon, OkoionR and Egypt Sta
tIon. August Stu, moved to Pontatoc,
18th. msvvd TO Lafayette Springs; 18th,
to oxford on the Miss Central Railroad
The enemy out again aud moving down
maueuvering and skirmishing with the
enemy which lasted for several days, the
command being constantly on the move.
Forest with portion of the comman
effected a coup d et0t, hankel the enemy
and moved into Memphis, though the
possession was OF short duration. This
caused the enemy in our front to beat "a
hasty retreat The cohtnand remained
in the vicinity Of Oxford until the 7th
September. when we moved again; first
10 Lafayette Springs. then TO PontatOc
aud arrived At verona The IJth Now
for "a raid into Middle Tennessee. AMI for
few days, preparations were being
made; l6th. command moving; 18th, ar
rived AT Cherokee Station on the Mem
phis and Charleston railroad; Dist, cross
ell Tennessee river at Colbert Shoals, aud
the same day arrived at Florence, Ala:
22d moved oh; 24th, attacked and cap
tured Athens ton he Alabama and Ten
nessee KAiiroaI), with the garrison, "a
force numbering neurly fifteen hunired
men; 10Th. attacked and iptured the fort
at sulphur TresseI, ufiicting a severe
loss upon the enemy before they surren
dered, and captured about seven hundred
prisoners; 18th met the enemy four miles
south OF Pulaski aud a sharp engage
ment eusued. Here keutu:kinns met
keutuckiaus, and the ground was -obsti
nately contested, though the enemy gave I
way and fell back 90 Pulaski. Our lorces /.
followed up aud drove the enemy into
their forts. though we suffered severely f.
Our loss ia killed was much greater Ia F.
10 the number wounded than I
IN any her action sc TOOK pare IA ,iur-
ing the war Here the regiment lost two I
captains. and about eIsut men killed and .
about fifteen wounded Al night We
4ha Il. ,F
aski; 18th, moved TO Fayetteville: 29th, /
moved north east to within Is miles Of .
rullahoma. Here the command was iii /
ided; Gen. BufOrd taking command OF .
part aud returning TO Athens our regi- /
nent continued with the advance which /
roved nor Invest aud struck the rail (
road again At Spring iiil Nov lst .
Then destroyed four block houses, captur- /
ing about one hundred prisoners, ami /
irove jhe enemy in ut Co,umbia; 2nd, !
moved south west Of COlum bia; Bird, passed /
through Mt. Pleasant; 4th, moved down F,
Oh the old military road en- route back to /
tennessee river; 9th, passed through /
Florence aud arrived at the river, the enc
my following up. Crossed the river aud
on the Sih arrived ut Cherokee Station;
l lth, passed through luka, (east OF Cor
inth j; aud then moved up 10 ~Pittsburg
Landing. crossing over the batrle ground
of SHILOH IAN. down TO COriuth aud
e,mped about eight days; then moved up
through West Tennessee; 24th, AT Hunt
ingion; 9th at Paris; 29rh, struck the
Tennessee river at Fort Heinmann, aud
captured Steam boat loaded with army
stores, exchanging compliments with
n gun boat or two.
NoFember LIST, moved MP the river. anI
in due time arrived at Johusonvilie
(crossing OF the Nashville and North
western r. X Here our artillery was
used 10 great advantage The contest
with the gun boats was severe for time
but we routed them and one account says
destroyed four gun boats besides large
number of transports and barges, and all
their military stores in Johnsonville
(opposite side of river; eth. moved on up
TO Perryyille; 9th out west to Lexiug-
ton, lith, at Purdy, 12th passed TO the
left of Corinth 18th, at luka From here
the command moved on TO Tuscumba,
Ala. Now then commences the disastrous
move of Gen. Hood into Middle Tennes-
see. and, we may say that events which
immediately preceded 'he fall of the Con
federaey. followed each other in rapid
succession
The writer was not with the regiment
during the time of this memorable move
ment. having been sent back from Purdy
into West Kentucky with a detachment of