Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-21

some bfchkl dst, Dul We SUM lShlhSu 'ilHt
we could get no corn in town. We were
ordered To get our horses in line aud bring
the prisoners down stairs just ms we got
the prisoners down in the court yard, our
picket down by the bridge on the same
road IN which We came into town, fired
his gun and in he came as fast AS his horse
could carry him, crying. They are com
ing, They are c0ming They are coming!
BY Cd, they are coming, and they have
got Bill Cole Sure enough they were
a coming. We had formed in line in
front of the court house; and as Cap
saw them coming he ordered the prisoners
back into the court house lin this move
my man got away and told the boys 10 tie
their horses To the fence and get into the
court house.
The Johnnies instead of charging right
up to us, turned to the left, which put
some brick buildings between us and
them. cap" told VIM. a Clark and
myself 10 mount our horses and ride east
to the first street and see if they were go
ing to dismount, or If they were coming
around mounted. We rode up the street
to the corner, and as we turned to the left
they came around the other corner on the
run, and turned to come down where we
sat on our horses. And as they came
around the corner, Clark and | opened
| fire on them with our five shooting rifles.
/ and in return they opened fire on us with
their double barreled shot guns. There
was a brick hotel behind us, and they
filled it with buck shot from the base to
| the caves. while we unsaddled two men,
| killed one horse and wounded two more.
As soon as they could stop their horses
| they went back, and Clark and | went
back TO the court house. Our boys got
into the court house. and whenever the
Johnnies showed their heads. they blazed
away right through the windows at them.
| But "Cap" soon saw that would no. do.
| We would use up all our ammunition and
they would have us in the court house; so
| he put two men on a street and told them
| TO drive the Johnnies out of town, and In
| less than half an hour there was not a
Johnnie to be seen. The company that
was in town when we made our charge
| had got reinfOrcements and thought they
would try their hand in charge on us.
| We learned that there were one hundred
Of them, and about seventy of them
charged on us, the remainder staying back
by the bridge as a reserve.
| Then we got our horses in line again,
mounted and started TO leave the town on
the same road that We came in on. But
when we had got about half way across
the long bridge we saw they mad formed
on the other side Cap told some of US
to go on towards them, and he would
countermarch and 20 back and take the
Spring Greek road, which ran out of town
nearly parallel with the McLemonvlle
road but the river came down between
them, so If they attempted to head us off
again they must ford the river. As soon
as Cap" had got back across the bridge
| we countermarched and followed him.
They made a feint to head us off on that
road, but don't think they cared great
deal about getting in ahead Of us We
rode out eight or ten miles and stopped
and got our breakfast and fed our horses
then we rode on to Spring Creek and there
we camped for the night, having made a
march Of 4G miles, saying nothing of the
run we had in Trenton
Spring Creek was thirteen miles from
Jackson, that being the nearest place to
the union lines. The distance from Jack
son to Trenton was 81 miles; and that was
the neareat place we could have got rein.
forcements from, if we had wanted help.
The next morning cap" sent the prison
ers into Jackson and we went back TO Nc
Lemonville | have before me copy Of
the message sent by Col J. X. Miner,
then chief of cavalry in the 10th army
corps to Capt Quackenbush, and also a
message from Gen Reynolds, which will
explain themselves;
Headquarters, Chief of Cavalry, 10th
| Army Corps, jackson, Tennessee, April
p. 1863.
"CAPTAIS:-The Colonel commanding
directs me to acknowledge the receipt Of
your dispatch OF the - inst. and TO express
TO you his high admiration Of yourself and
men in your gallant adventure Of yester-
day at Trenton | will send you rein
forcements Immediately The Colonel
would wish TO caution you TO be wary of
tins much superior force and not venture
too far from support. II your position is
too hazardous at McLemonville, it would
be advisable to fall back to Spring Creek
when your efforts TO pursue the enemy
| shall have been abandoned
Your obedlent servant
JAMES G. BUTLER.
a. A. A. Gen.
70 Capt. Quackenbush, commander
| force at McLemonville.