The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-15


was SO very chilly, and that he had concluded
to have fire. II and d-nation,o said
the man; would you burn up the mandatory
to make fire to warm yourself by?"
IN ARMY or HOGS.
On the morning of the 31st we left camp at
o'clock, the First brigade in advance. At
| about 8 o'clock the command was Joined by
/ Captain Beckwith, who, having returned from
| Bankston, reported his complete success The
column proceeded along the Bellefontaine and
Middletown road passing through a hilly
country, arriving at Lodi about ii o'clock in
| the morning. At that place we captured 100
tat hogs en- route for Hoods army; also 1900
| bushels of wheat The latter was destroyed at
once. After good deal of speculation, and about
| one thousand and one ideas being advanced as
/ to what disposition should be made of the
| grunting stock, it was finally concluded to
/ drive 1T before us. This was done, and it az
! forded good deal of fun. Just imagine about
eight hundred hogs before you in the roaiT aad
| about two hundred jolly fellows driving them.
Then picture to yourself the various remarks
and expressions used. After putting the hogs
through for five miles they became so trouble
some that council of officers was held and it
was decided TO put them all to DEATH The
men constructed a large pen, and into it the
hogs We're driven. After killing it was pro-
posed to burn them, and nearly whole brigade
/ dismounted and with drawn sabers charged in
among the squealing herd, splitting them open
in the back. They then piled rails upon them,
which were fired, and this soon made glori-
Gus barbecue. E. j., assistant clerk to the
general, declared that a few years hence new
| discoveries would be made in that section in
shape of lard-oil wells. According to Mobile
prices pork was worth at that time 50 a pound
TAPPING THE WIRES
| While the destruction of the hogs was going
| on, Colonel Karge was moving his command
| towards Middletown. He struck the Missis-
sippi Central Railroad one mile north Of Winona,
cutting the railroad and telegraph. Before
| cutting the wires. however, the colonel inter-
| cepteei dispatch, which contained an inquiry
respecting the operations of Writ Adams at
| Canton, and asking whether he had sent any
re-enforcements up the road. A reply could
not be obtained. Nine locomotives were de-
| stroyed at Winona also the depot and large
/ quantity of quarternaster's stores. From this
| place the command proceeded to Middletown
| and camped for the night with the exception
| OF the Third Iowa, commanded by Colonel
| Noble. After feeding and resting a few hours
this regiment was ordered to proceed up the
road to Grenada and destroy the bridges on the
route and all government property in that
place; after this it was to reioin the command
! at Benton, sixty five miles south of Middle
town. The distance from the latter place to
! Grenada is twenty-five miles
On the morning of January l. 1865 the COM
mand left camp, the main column moving
south toward Benton, while the third brigade
was sent down the Mississippi Central Railroad,
with orders to destroy it and to rejoin the
command at Benton. Nothing transpired on
the march that day worthy of notice, the main
column camping that night within four miles
Of Lexington, Holmes county, Miss.
ANOTHER LITTLE BRUSH.
On the morning of the I'd we left camp, pass
ing through Lexington. Some little skirmish-
ing occurred in the advance on the direct
road to Ebenezer, where we arrived about
noon, and passed through the town without
| hating. Shortly after leaving the place a
rebel lieutenant, belonging to the Fifth Texas
cavalry, was captured. He stated that force
OF cavalry, numbering II COO men, with artil-
iery, was then at Benton, awaiting our ap-
proach. This story was not credited At least
1t made no impression further than to increase
our speed toward that point About o'clock
p. ~ dispatch was received from the Second
brigade, stating that they had moved down the
| railroad. which they destroyed as far as Gro
| mans and then struck west through Franklin,
in the direction of Ebenezer. While at Frank
lin they were attacked by five or six hundred
OF Writ Adams cavalry under the command Of
Colonel Woods, but. after very spirited fight,
had repulsed the latter with q loss of twenty
five killed and left on the feld-amcug theg.
one major and one captain. Twenty prisoners
Were taken; our own loss was but FIVE killed
and fourteen wounded. Too much praise can
not be awarded the brigade for their conduct
in this fight and particularly that of the Third
United States eelored cavalry commanded by
Major Mann. They alone repnlsed several des- I
perate charges. Their adiutant was killed and
several men wounded. Colonel Osborne COM
manding the brigade, was all fight. About
o'clock p. m. the main column arrived at Ben
ton without meeting any opposition, and
FQ yfpl 41a xforI,t Acfn1
the Third brigade arrived.
A NEW YEARS VISIT.
While the main force was lying at Benton
Colonel Noble Joined it. He came with tidings
of success that added largely to our victories.
After destroying twenty-five miles of the Mis-
sissippi Central Railroad, he had surprised and
taken Grenada, where he captured four service
able engines and ten others in process of repair
and very extensive machine shop, which had
but recently been completed, and the 1nachin-
cry for which had been brought from Georgia.
several buildings, containing immense quanti-
ties OF commissary and quarternaster stores,
twenty cases of Enfield rifles. which had been
lately received for the purpose of arming the
State militia, together with q considerable
amount of ammunition. Colonel Noble found
in the Office of the Grenada Picket a paper
OF the day previous, in which was an article
stating that the Yankee raid on the Mobile
and Ohio Railroad had played ont, and
that Griersons yandals had been repulsed and
We're making for Memphis with all speed.
After reading this, the colonel remarked to a
citizen that it was not the intention of General
Grierson to slight them so much as to fail to
pay them New Years visit. He ordered the
destruction of the Picket press, saying that if he
could have done so consistently he would have
left it untouched, so that the editors might
proclaim what warm call they had had from
their Northern brethren
HoMEWARD BOUND.
The general now felt comparatively satisfied |
as the main object of the expedition had been
to reach Benton without disaster, and ON the
morning of the Sd the whole command left
camp, proceeding southwest in the direction of
Vicksburg. It arrived at fredericksburg before |
dark, and camped there for the night. From |
this place four scouts were sent to Vicksburg, |
forty miles distant, with dispatches for General
Washburne, and request that rations be sent
to Clear Creek. On January 4th we left camp I
at an early hour, and marched all day through I
canebrakes. Considerable bushwhacking was
done IN which one man was killed "a member I
OF the Third Iowa). The roads were good but /
not unlike the Mississippi River in one respect I
they were very crooked, and ran through a |
really God-forsakcn country. We arrived at |
Clear Creek about 5 O'clock p. m, having
marched twenty-five miles. At this place we +
were met by the provision aud forage train,
which had been sent for the day previous, and |
just as Old Sol was disappearing behind the
western horizon our ears were greeted nv the