The National tribune., 1884-02-21
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.



To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
noticed IN your Chronology of the War"
for January %, 1868, mention OF the action and
surrender at Holly Springs, Miss, by detaeh-
.nents Of The Sd Michigan and "a Illinois cav
airy and 18th, Cd and I0lst Illinois infan-
try. The post at Holly Springs at the time
the Confederate General Van Dorm made the
attack was commanded by Colonel Murphy,
think. % the Ssh Wisconsin infantry, who sur
rendered the post, composed mostly OF invalids
and the necessary guards. The % illinois
cavalry however was encamped on the lar
ground, and, refusing to surrender, cut Its way
out and rs a3ed. At the tire Y an Dorm struck
Holly Springs our cavalry were at Oxford,
Miss and our division. under command OF
Colonel Il. LYLE Dickey sth Illinois cavalry,
frow one of tho supreme judges of Illinois, was
ordered north 10 intercept the enemy. Colonel
Dickey's command, / think, was composed OF
two brigaaes, one commanded by Colonel
Miner. OF The Sc Michigan cavalry, and the
other commanded, j think, BIZ Colonel Lee, Of
the 9Th Kansas cavalry. The command con-
sisted rs nea.ly as 1 can remember, OF the Sd
Michigan, 4ah, 9th and 1th Illinois cavalry, 7th
Kansas. and, perhaps, the I'd Iowa cavalry,
with light artillery. Van Dorm moved from
Holly Springs north 70 Davis Mill on the south
fork OF the Wolf River, Tennessee, ands as
stated IN the chronology, had skirmish on
the 2lst OF January 1855 with two companies
Inc ON ttkllo A.-iA tt<S ~yAsA
in.antrr Colonel Morgan tof 25th lndianal
commanding who repulsed Van Dorm, and
compelled hila 70 move down Wolf River 70
Moscow Tenn where he crossed without OPP
position and moved to Bolivar Tenn. The
defsnse niade by Colonel Morgan and his men
at DAYS Aiiii was most gallant. as bis con-
lnand did hot number more than one-quar6er
OF his ASSISTANTS
Neu also note the skiTmish at Bolivar, Tenn,
on the 2ath Of January, le63. TROOPS not
known and request the readers of HE IRfB-
UNE te same the troops engaged Our DIVISION
arrived ~ Davis Mi the day after Van Dorm
ATTEMPTED lis capture and we moved right on
&c Grand junction, and from thence TO Bolivar,
Tenn. getting into the latter place, l think,
shout dark or a little after. The enemy, It Vas
TElnored. we're encamped two miles from
foVn and lye hR0 TO pass near them TO get into
Bolivar. Alr regiment tthe 9Th Illinois cav
airyl encanped or rather slept IN the ceine-
tery, tying tAcir horses 10 the fence surround
ing H. and a50at daylight the next morning
we had the skirmish recorded. And il WAS a
lively one, too; bat ! have forgotten the casu-
alties The enemy fhen began moving south
s-loau tie Lississ ppi Central Railroad, and
tried to capture a Michigan infantry regiment
stationed at Middlebnrg, bot were repalsed
with scyeTe loss Captain Frank Fisk. OF coIn-
panv II, sth Illinois cavalry, now attorney at
law, Lincoln, III > was IA advance OF the regi-
1nent ard when We were within about Two miles
Of Middle5ars al old planter told Us that the
regiment guarding the ssatioa were surely
captured. as there were CoBfeleratss enough 70
eat ID All the Yankees down there; and be said
the ElGslzctTy firing had been terrific. Captain
Fisk was anxious 10 learn the result Of the
action; so he asked the boys if three or four
would ride down The road and ascertain. Jacob
1ontz, now a wealthy farmer living near Del
evan. Tazegell county, Ill., James Sterling,
Ed. Cochnon. RBbe Miller and your humble
servant gail0ped down the road into the town,
and cane very near running right into the
rear OF the eneny's column, which had been
repniseG with the loss of a good many killed
and wounded. The enemy TetTeatea south on
different rontes, and our command divided and
followed. There was intense suffering IN ouI
command. for we had started from Oxford with
only one days rations, had no train, and we're
not permitted to make any fires at night. We
were gone fhirteen days following the enemy,
who loraeed everything in the country, and
LETT Us nothing Tor ourselves or horses TO eat
This was IN the middle OF the winter, and We
had no tlnts and were poorly supplied with
blankets and oEercc2ts.
MTii8g From meIncry, it may be l have
made soale mistakes. If / have, VIII some
co1nradc kindly eorrect9
LORENZO DURHAM,
Private, Go. II, 9TH III. Cav, and
Lieat., 6lst Z. 5. C. 7.
LoRT0S, III