Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-03

= bile JlIue, MOubu VI uuhAShl AOOci GIN
! moved from West Point and Colum.
t bus, Miss. The command was com
| posed of Jackson's, Buford's anC
D Chalmers divisions Of two brigadel
4 each and Writ Adams brigade anC
4 Roddy's command, the latter's brigade
: being at the time in north Alabama
/ l think, said he, that Adams brigade
was ordered back to Columbus to pro.
tect the. place. jackson was detached
to intercept some division of cavalry
, l think McCook's, which was met anG
/ defeated. The other command was
! ordered to some point on the road
running from Centerville to Selma.
{ Roddy being in front of Centervile,
and being driven back in front of the
the enemy, Forrest, with his escort
staff and provost guard, went to Cen.
%terville and found Roddy unable ia
hold the enemy in check, falling back
? discouraged. The enemy drove this
rather discouraged body Of Roddy's
command back to Randolph, at which
point Forrest, with his escort, staff
and provost guard, after running into
a portion of Wilson's command at
night on another road leading to Ran
dolph, charged into and drove them
in some confusion, killing and captur-
ing many of the regiment attacked.
Owing to some cause not nov remem-
bered, Jackson was prevented from
joining us at Randolph, and
Forrest remained at Randolph and
during the night was Joined by Adams
brigade, about 1000 strong. Next morn
lag the enemy advanced, and Forrest
continued to fall back skirmishing hop
ing and expecting to be joined by the
different commands as ordered on the
road, and on which they were to come,
he falling back to them. When near
Maplesville, | think, a few miles in
front of Plantersville, Chalmers es-
cort arrived and reported that Chal-
mers was unable to cross some stream,
! think the 0cmulgee, and nothing
was heard from Buford, or there may
have been a small portion of his com
mand arrived at this point. This
small command formed across the
road and were attacked by the enemy,
who soon charged, and here it was
that a hand to hand fight took place.
| think it was the 18th Indiana cav-
airy that charged. Every man who
came into our lines was either killed
or captured, and this was the place
where General Forrest was struck
several times with a saber, and where
he, horseback, leaped a wagon, which
you have SO often heard spoken of
Col. N. c. Galloway, Major Strange,
Capts. Forrest, Sam Donelson and
Chas. Anderson and DR.. Jones, mem
bers Of the staff. we're acting at the time.
Captain Boone, commanding escort
was severely cut on the head with a
saber. After this the fragment of
Forests cavalry then fell back to
Plantersville. There orders were
dispatched to Burford to move to
Selma, Ala. The force at Selma
was composed of Roddy's men
and Armstrong; brigade, conva-
leseents and employees of the govern
ment, by no means sufficient to
man the works, and it was impossible,
owing to circumstances, for Forrest to
concentrate his troops at Selma. The
enemy attacked and carried the thinly
manned works, though attended with
severe loss. Forrest was in Selma, and
probably about one. third Of the men
in Selma escaped. Fore t, with his
staff and a portion of his escort, es-
capped, moving directly through the
enemy's line at night. After moving
in the direction of Marion, Ala, near
Symmetrical he engaged a portion of
the enemy and defeated them. After
after arriving at Marion, he was then
by Chalmers command, and, |
think, with jackson and Buford
while here, with pickets at Cahawba,
on Cahawba river. At this point
Captain Hosea, Of General Wilson's
staff, reported with flag Of truce and
was met by a like detachment Of Off
GERS and men from Forrest cavalry
and the officers under the flag allowed
to cross into our line, at a point about
ten or twelve miles from Selma,
and the department officers
held conference with regard to ex-
change Of prisoners, with instruction
to officers not to entertain the PROPOSE
ton Of a parolling or ex-
changing ofthe men captured a tSelma,
for the purpose Of b~urdening Wilson
and retarding his march.
Captain Hosea, with flag, returned
to Selma. The truce ending at sunset.
he was ordered across the river, after
arranging for Forrest and Wilson to
meet next day at The same place under
the flag. They met under the flag Of
truce, and, with regard to the ex-
change of prisoners, found no cause
g. l. IL -