The National tribune., 1900-01-25

Westayed around Davis's Mills until Jan.
II, 1863. then We're sent 10 Memphis on
provost duty. Lieut.-Col. Rhinelander was
now our Colonel.
down the Memphis e Charleston Railroad
In an endeavor TO intercept Forrest. We
moved about considerably until Jan. IS.
when we were ordered to Nielsblrg.
The 25th Ind. landed at FicksbUrg Feb.
2, 1864. ard Joined Shermaa's army. still
in camp there, six miles from the town.
The plans for 4 campaign across the State
of Mississippi were ROW completed.
On Feb. 5 the expedition started. We
marched TO Clear Creek, six miles. and
campei: after that we went by easy stages,
skirmishing a little with the rebels, through
Jackson and across Pearl River.
On the 9th, at Morton, We, the Sixteenth
Corps, passed ahead Of the Seventeenth
On the 18th. at Decatur, ] was detailed to
guard house until the army had passed.
Sherman and his staff had diSmountet
close by, and were preparing to get dinner.
The wagon-trains only had a few soldiers
scattered along their length as guards.
The house was on the edge of the town. and
as the wagons We're passing al this time
some gue-rillaS or foraging rebel soldiers
made Il dash on the train. They killed 20
mules. and our guards returned their
fire, killing one of the enemy. They
dashed back into the woods after an I'M
successful attempt to stampede the trains.
On the 14th we marched into Meridian,
on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, which the
rebels had evacuated, leaving a lot Of
rolling-Stock, and we went into their old
barracks. We drove the JohnnieS out of
Marion Station on the 10th; they lost one
man killed. Here We tore up the railroad.
and cut down telegraph poles and burned
them. At Lockhart Station we did the
same thing. We thus cut off the rebels'
Transportation from Mobile and other i'm
Inv, ,,-p,l. INni,,,r
plished, we started back for Vicks burg by a
different route. At H!llsboro the Seven
teenth Corps passed Us. At Canton we
captured considerable rolling-stock. AT
the same place many of our regiment re
enlisted for three years more. On March
1. 1864, we reached Brownsville, and on
the Sd arrived at Vicksburg again.
The next day my regiment went to
Memphis Oh the Steamer Sultana. We
stayed there until March II, when those
who had re-enlisted, after being paid off,
Went home on veteran furlough.
We arrived in Nashville May 6. We
reported TO our regiment on the 11th, and
found the others safe.
ON GUARD AT DECATUR.
Our brigade remained at Decatur in the
way of protection TO the army, then NOV
ing on Atlanta Gen. Roddy, with
small army, was below Decatur, and had
made several dashes on our outposts, and
annoyed the moving army. So on the 18th
our regiment was sent out TO locate the
rebels. But we had very little fighting.
The Seventeenth Corps came through
from Huntsville on the 26th, to join Sher-
man at Rome. We had built good barracks
and were very comfortable. The 18th
n. Y. (Zouaves) had been assigned to our
brigade, SO that it now consisted Of the
25th Ind, 18th n. Y, and 32d Wis, de-
tachment Of the 1st Ohio Cav, and Battery
ID, I'd Ill. Art. We We're guarding the rail-
road communications from Nashville TO
Chattanooga. The rebels having burned
the bridge before We went to Decatur, we
had built a pontoon for wagons, etc.
On May 26 the 18th n. Y. and detach-
ment of the 1st Ohio Cav. were ordered out
on a reconnaissance against Roddy's
men. They met the rebels in force, and
the Colonel of the 18th sent back for rein
forcements, but before the 25th Ind. could
get out of camp the rebels had left, so we
did not go. But the whole brigade was
ordered out next day, with the battery, to
four miles south of Decatur. We were
900 strong and eight guns. We had
formed line of battle, when the rebels fell
back, and We follow ed. The Johnnies
made another stand at eight miles farther,
and again we formed in line, and this time
exchanged shots, the cannonading lasting
about an hour. Then the rebels fell back
again.
We followed the Johnnies TO CORTLAND,
q miles from Decatur, however, but did
not catch up with them, and next morning
marched back.