Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-25


thousand troops were stationed in the city,
and good sized army lay between it and
the lines of the nearest known enemy
that is to say, Forrest loose in Mississippi
The sound of battle raised by these bold
riders that Sunday morning was a thunder
clap in clear sky. Miserly old men and
women who had brought their treasures to
Memphis for security began to pack up for
another hiding. Volunteer and conscript
home guards who hadn't courage to go out
into the open field, but in peaceful times
stood bravely in the shelter of high brick
walls and cried, LET 'em come! we're
readyP' shook till their teeth ratified as
they turned oat to meet the devil face to
face
The alarm involved the whole CITY, The
raiders moved in five bodies. Capt. Forrest
was followed closely to the Gayoso House
by detachment led by Col. Logwood. The
battery which Forrest had cleared of gun
ners had been renamed meanwhile, and
Col. Logwood's men went through it with
dubbed rifles. Afterward they ran the
gantlet of fire from scattering bodies of
troops and the home guard along the
streets. Still another Confederate body,
under Col. Neely, attacked an infantry en-
campment near the point where the city
was entered, but found their match and
more. The men here were in line, and re-
ceived the raiders with volley Forrest,
who had held somewhat aloof with his re-
serves, went to Neely's aid, and with his es-
cort charged impetuously. Nicely attacked
at the same moment and the infantry
was driven to cover, Forrest hesitating to
give further attack, however Another
body Of raiders under Col. Jesse Forrest
dashed into the headquarters of Gen. Wash
burne, commander of the department, and
captured some staff officers, but failed to
secure the general, the prize he aimed at.
Gen. Forrest now ordered retreat. Col.
Logwood and Capt. Forrest fought their
way back from the Gayoso House to the
outskirts. At the battery previously en-
countered sharp fight occurred but the
Confederates pushed through. The Union
cavalry had meanwhile got to horse, and
small bodies of Forests men were either
chased out of town or captured. The raid
ers had concentrated at the Union infantry
camp taken by Col Neely and Gen. Forrest,
and were attacked by mounted force of
several hundred Forrest again took
hand personally, and mortally wounded
Col. Starr during the conflict.
The Confederates had effected their pur-
pose, and though they were chased out of
Memphis the glory of the exploit remained
behind them. Forrest lost some men, prob
ably 200, and claimed to have taken 600 pris-
oners, including citizens and convalescents
from the hospitals. After the return march
began the Confederate leader found that
his prisoners could not keep up, as they
were without shoes. He halted the column
and communicated by a flag of truce with
the Union headquarters at Memphis, and
after some delay secured supply of cloth
ing and shoes. He then resumed the march,
and in few hours sent back another COM
munication to the effect that owing to the
difficulties of transportation his rations
were low and he could not feed the pris-
oners but would await supplies for them
from the Union commissariat and halt for
this purpose at fernando, twenty-five miles
distant This crowning act of boldness
was carried out to the letter. The next
morning some Union officers reached his
camp at fernando and distributed two
days rations to their unfortunate comrades,
and went back to Memphis carrying the
impression that Forrest was in no hurry to
leave the vicinity. Here was raider, with
q comparatively weak force, far within the
enemy's territory, surrounded by antago-
nists encamped only few hours march dis
tant from his route of retreat, and by this
time aware of his presence in the vicinity
and his condition, coolly sending word
direct to the headquarters of the opposing
force just where he could be found at a
given time, and actually waiting there a
whole night to keep the appointment. Of
course he knew the result Smith would
he ordered back from Mississippi to guard
Memphis, and FORESTS country" would
relapse into his unhampered control once
more. AS deed of daring, Forests divis-
! ion of force in the presence of powerful
enen,.sS that had recently beaten him in a
fair fight, .-.nd his bold ride with fragment
into the midst o. the armed camps at
Memphis, was marvellous. In view of the
| military result achieved it was master
stroke Of tactics. Before the raiding de-
tachment rejoined FORESTS main body in
| mississippi Smith was on the back track
| for Memphis. GEORGE L. KILMER.