The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-05-04

| from Corinth on the 14th of April. with 4,00t
| infantry, 1900 cavalry and mounted men, with
two light batteries, but was not joined by Col
/ Streight until the 2lst. Fuler's Brigade Of
the Second Division, (about 2000,) the 9TH Kan
! Cav. and one battery also joined the same day.
The united commands moved forward, reach
| ing Tuscumbia Ala, on the 2ith. At midnight
on the Goth Col. Streight left Tuscumbia. with
the intention of going through Russellville
| Moulton and Brownsville to Gadsden, then
| divide his force and strike Rome and the Etc.
wah Bridge. Gen. Dodge the next morning,
IN accordance with the arrangements advanced
toward CORTLAND, Ala, for the purpose OF drIv-
! ing the enemy in that direction. and that night
communicated with Col. Streight, who was then
at Mention and all right Col. Streight sue
ceeded in reaching point near Cedar Bluffs,
! Ala constantly skirmishing with the enemy,
/ when he was surrounded and compelled to
! surrender his command on the Sd of May,
| 1863
| On Tuesday the 2Sth. Gen. Dodge encoun-
tered the enemy at Town Creek, Ala, and
! drove him to within three miles of CORTLAND.
| Having now fully accomplished the object OF
| his expedition he returned to Corinth. His
| infantry force had marched $50 miles and cav
airy some 400, and fought six successful en-
| gagements, driving the enemy from Bear Creek
| to Decatur, taking the towns of TuscumbIa
and Florence. with loss not exceeding 100
men. He destroyed 100000 bushels of corn
and 100000 pounds of bacon, and the railroad
| from Tuscumbia to Decatur; also, some 60
fatboats and ferries in the Tennessee River,
and five tanyards and six Touring mills.
On the 18th of April another expedition left
La Grange, Tenn, commanded by Col. Benia-
min II. Grerson, of the 9th III. Cav. His
force consisted of his own regiment and the
18th Ill. Cav. and I'd Iowa Cav, with an effective
strength of LOO men. Small infantry forces
were also sent out from La Grange and Mem
phis toward the Coldwater to attract the atten-
ton of the enemy. These troops returned to
their respective camps on the Oath. having
been engaged on the 18th at fernando and on
the 18th at Perry's Ferry.
Col. Grierson moved southwark, crossing
the Tallahatchee on the afternoon of the 18th
at three different points, and reached Pontotoc
about 8 p. m on the 10Th. He now moved rap
idly, sending out attachments and striking the
enemy, who had been hastily gathered here
and there to oppose him, breaking up railways,
destroying bridges and telegraph lines and
public property. On the 21st after passing the
village of Houston, and before reaching Stark
ville he detached the Cd Iowa, under Col.
Hatch, with orders to break up the railroad
between Columbus and Macon, and then make
his way back as best he could TO La Grange.
At Columbus Col. Hatch had brisk engage
ment losing 40 men, after which he retired
northward, destroying the railroad at Okolona
and Tupelo. At Ripley he encountered force
of the enemy's cavalry under Gen. Chalmers,
and had brisk skirmish with him. He sue
ceeded in reaching La Grange on the Goth.
In the meantime, Col. Grierson with the 9th
and 18th III. Cav, now about $50 strong, con-
tinued his journey southwark arriving at
Starkville about p. m. the 2lst, where he
captured mail and destroyed a quantity Of
Government property. He moved from this
point toward Louisville, arriving there about
dark on the 22d, destroying en- route large
tannery and shoe factory, and an immense
quantity of manufactured boots and shoes, and
leather and machinery. He remained at Louis
vile but a short time, and encamped that night
about 10 miles south Of it. The next morn
ing at daylight he moved toward Phila-
delphia, passing through that town In the
afternoon. The next day he captured at New
ton Station two trains, one of % cars loaded
with ties and machinery, and the other ID cars,
with commissary stores and ammunition.
These he destroyed, exploding the locomotives;
the railroad track was also torn up and bridge
burned. Col. Grierson rested in the neighbor-
hood of Newton about three hours, and then,
as he had learned from captured mails and in
formation obtained by his scouts that large
forces had been gathered to intercept his re-
turn, determined to continue his march south
ward. He now passed through Garlandville,
and that night camped about two miles west OF
Montross. The next day he made an easy
for his horses and of provisions. Early on
the morning of the 26th he crossed Leaf
River, marched thence through Raleigh,
and reached Westville soon after dark.
After crossing Pearl River he struck the
New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern
Railroad at Hazlehurst, where he found a num-
Der of cars loaded with shell and Commissary
and Quartermaster's stores These were de-
stroyed, and as much of the railroad and tele-
graph as possible On the 25th he encountered
a small force of cavalry sent out from Grand
Gulf, and drove them, when he rapidly moved
down the New Orleans Railroad, skirmishing
at Brookhaven on the 29th at Wallis PostOthce,
near Greensburg, and at WiIliams's Bridge, La,
on the 1st of May; and at Roberts's Ford, Comite
River, La, on the Cd of May. and about p. m.
on the same day reached Baton Rouge Col.
Grierson had ridden entirely through the State
of Mississippi, marching 500 miles in 16 days;
had destroyed between so and 60 miles of rail-
way and telegraph lines, and large amount of
other property; had captured number of
horses and mules. and inflicted on the enemy
a greater loss than he himself had suffered.
This was one of the boldest and most success
full cavalry raids of the war; it produced a
profound sensation, and, by distracting the
enemy's attention at most critical moment,
aided Gen. Grant greatly in his preliminary
operations against Vicksburg.
The composition of the Sixteenth Corps serv-
ing IN henIuckys tennessee, anu HOrIH6Fu
Mississippi on June 80, 1863, was as follows:
Maj Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut commanding.
Second Division - Brig Gen. Granville NJ.
Dodge. First Brgade-Brig. Gen. Thomas w.
Sweeny-52d Ill.,; Goth Ind; I'd, 7th Iowa
Second Brigade-Col. August Mersy-9th, 18th,
122d H.; S1st Ohio. Third Brigade-Col.
Moses NJ. Bane-7th. 50th, 9th ILL.,; seth Iowa.
Unattached Infantry-1st Ala. "a. d.; Gath,
Co.'s A, B, C, d, E, and F; Goth ILL.,. 18th
Mo. Artllery--1st Ala, Siege Co. A 1st III.
Light Battery G Cd III. Light. Battery B;
18th, Co. G, 57th, Co. d. Ill.,; Cd Mich. battery;
Batteries ID, H, and /, 1st Mo.
Fifth Dvision-Brig. Gen. James G. Veatch.
First Brigade-Co. Charles d. Murray-117th
H. seth Ind; 1st Tenn. II. A. a. d. 18th
U. s. I'D battalion), Co.'s A, B, c, d. and E !;
Hurlbut's battery. Second Brigade-Col. Viii.
liam II. Morgan-25th Ind; 32d Wis; Sd U. S.
Cav; I'd Ill. L. A., Battery d; Provisional En-
Maj. John II. Kuhn. Third Bril-
gade-Col. John w. Fuller-27th, 39th, 43d,
63d Ohio Sd Mich. battery; I'd U. S. Art,
Battery f. Fourth Brigade - Col. David
Moore-49th, 10th ILL.,; 2lst Mo-; 34th Wis.,,
Co.'s b. Q, d. F, H. and X Cd Ill. Cav. five
9TH Ohio Cav. eight companies);
9TH Wis. battery.
Sixth Dvision-Brig. Gen. Alexander As
both. Cairo Ill.-Brig. Gen. Napoleon B. Bu-
ford-58th Ill. Clinton, Ky.-4th Mo. Cav,
Cos b, G, E and q. Columbus, ky.-Col. |
George T. Waring-l26th Ill. (detachment), |
I AL, TOwa Zoe q Il IT 7 aud Il 1Gtb