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


ed all the government property, the command
moved to within five miles of Egypt, and
eamped for the night, during which several
deserters came into our lines, bringing their
! gums with them. They said they belonged
70 our army, had been prisoners long
time, and had joined the Confederate
army in order to avoid a lingering
and horrible death in the prison pen at
Andersonville. As soon as this fact became
known among the men, they at once conferred
upon them the title Of Galvanized Confeds "
These men stated that the rebels promised st
the Union soldier Of foreign birth who night
join them would only be required to do
garrison duty md further informed MS that
about two hundred more of their number were
In the stockade Ut Egypt, and would be COM
/ PEELED to fight u IN the morning If attacked.
SHARP FIGHT AT EGYPT STATION.
The morning came, and at an early hour the
command started for Egypt The general did
not anticipate light there, ard was under the
| impression that The rebels would evacuate. AS
| it turned out However, the reverse was the
| case The whole command, except the Fourth
Iowa, was ordered to move by the wagon road !;
| the latter regiment moved down the railroad.
/ The Second brigade was directed to follow as a
reserve. We hal not proceeded far before a
/ squad of mounted rebels was seen. They kept
| retreating and occasionally exchanged a shot
/ with our advance. The command soon emerged
from the timbers into the open prairie, where
were plainly visible to the eye, about a mile
! distant, the few houses, depot, and stockade
comprising the station of Egypt. On nearer
approach, it was discovered, by the Third bri-
| gade, that Colonel Karge, commanding the
| First brigade, had come well up to the enemy's
works, and that heavy skirmishing was going
on. General Grierson and staff accompanied
| the First brigade A train of cars stood on the
track, and a four-gun battery was mounted on
one of them; all were within supporting dis
lance of the garrison. The eneIny's slSirmish-
ers were soon driven into their works, where
they were well protected, while our forces We're
exposed on the open prairie. While forming
| the troops Tor a charge, a movement was dis
covered which led the general to suppose that
| the train was about to leave. He at once order
ed Colonel KargeFto charge the rebel works.
AN EXCITING CHASE.
Drawing his saser, he ordered detachment
of the Fourth Missouri and Seventh Indiana TO
| follow him, and away he dashed for the train,
which was by this time moving off. So closely
did the general, his staff and escort press them,
| that the engineer detached fourteen cars, leav
| ing them in cur possession, and barely escaping
with the battery which was attached to the
/ tender. An exciting chase was now kept up
! for nearly milo, the cavalry firing rapidly
with their carbines and revolvers while tie
/ gunners threw grape, canister, and shell. 1t
/ was soon discovered that two other trains were
/ approaching from the south, loaded with
| troops Captain Woodward, General Grier-
| sons assistant adjutant general, q young brave
and dashing cavalry officer, was ordered to
take the detachment that had been chasing
| the train and proceed down the road rapidly
/ and tear up the track. This he successfully
/ accomplished, preventing the trains from ap-
/ preaching nearer than within two miles of
! the station. and keeping in check General
/ Gardiner, with re-enforcements to the num-
/ Der of about two thousand infantry. The
| adjutant was ably assisted by Captain Hencke,
of the Fourth Missouri, and Captains Elliott
and Shelton, Of the Seventh Indian. Tho fOf-
mer fell wounded while charging SIZE enemy
who had disenharked, thrown out d line of
| skirmishers and began to advance The cap
tain, with only 100 men, fell back from the
railroad, the infantry pursuing; but when
about 600 yards from the train, Captain Wood
ward ordered a left about, and with an inspir-
ing yell charged them, driving them back in
confusion. His loss was two men killed and
i've or SIX wounded, and thirty horses killed.
A VICTORIOUS CHARGE.
While this brave little band was so CALAMITY
fighting, the First brigade charged the enemy.
The charge was made by the Second New Jer-
sey, Lieutenant Colonel Yorle, their brave
commander, leading the attack. Mounted on
their horses shay charged right up to the stock
ade, so that they could fire directly into the gar
| rison. They were armed with that splendid
carbine, the Spencer seyen.shooter, and poured,
in quick succession, yolley after yoIIey into
their ranks. The rebels could not withstand
the fire; they were hanked on both sides, while
the Third brigade lay back III the rear not
more than sixty yards, dismounted and ready
to participate IN the attack. Their aid was not
| necessary, for the rebels saw that there was no
| chance for retreat and their re-enforeements
could not reach them, and forthwith surren-
dered the whole garrison to Lieutenant Colo
mel 4orke. The prisoners numbered about
800 infantry and cavalry Their loss in killed
and wounded was not less than sixty or sew
enty. Among the killed was Brigadier-Gen-
eral Collision, commanding the post. Our loss
was fifteen killed and seventy wounded, thirty
OF whom had to be left behind. Over 100
horses were killed at Egypt and LOCO stand of
arms captured and burned with the cars At
ter burying the dead and caring for the wound
ed, the command moved west and southwest
toward Houston. The prisoners were taken
along.
This fight was a very spirited one and re-
Elected great credit upon the officers and men
engaged. Seldom if ever before during the re-
beilion had charge been so successfully car
RED out by mounted force against an equal
force protected by a stockade. General Grier-
son participated in the victory with his brave
followers, and complimented them very highly
Just as the garrison surrendered, the rebel
General Gardiner and his force left on their
trains retreating towards West Point. Be-
sides the fourteen cars mentioned that were
abandoned, ten more were captured at the sta
ton. They We're loaded with two large pom
toon bridges, shelled corn and quartermaster
stores, al on the way to Hoods army.
YANKEES on EXHIBITION.
On the night of the 28th the command camped
within three miles Of Houston, on the planta-
ton of Norton & Co. We were the first Yankees
that had been seen in that section and the
natives remarked that we'uns" looked like
their folks. The general somewhat surprised
the ladies by displaying his musical talents on
the piano; after which one of them favored
the general and his staff with song of Long
fellows. This lady was somewhat astonished
to learn that refinement and talent were to be
found in the Yankee army. The next morning
the general missed his saddle blanket, and, by
way of joke, he remarked to the inmates that
he thought it was not treating him well to steal
his blanket, when lie had taken so much pains
TO guard their property. So | thought also;
especially IN view OF the fact that there was not
chicken or turkey left alive on the plantation
On the morning of the 18th, the whole COM
mand moved out passing through Houston,
from which place two attachments were sent
one souteast toward West Point and the other
north towards Pontotoc-for the purpose of
misleading the enemy. On returning they de-
stroyed the bridge across the Houlka River
Orders were soon issued to the command to
conilseate, for the use of the prisoners, who |