Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-04-18
A THRILL
ing STORY
OF the Capture of Holly
Springs, Mississippi.
DECEMBER 20. 1862.
Told i'm An Interesting Way
by DIR. j. G.. Dcupree.

column of cavalry that rode into
Holly Springs before daybreak on
a cold December morning nearly
forty years ago
The narrative opens by describ-
iug the military situation. as II WIS
about the middle at Dee. lS63.
Grant. with his main body. Was
at Oxford aud his outposts at COT
ieeyi,le; Pemberton. south Of the
Yaiobusha with front ami TANKS
covered By Van Dorn's cavalry.
numbering about 800 troopers.
The story tells how Van Dorm
moved east from Grenada on tire
night of December Il. ostensibly
to capture or destroy Col DIck-
ey's one thousand raiders opcrat
ing on the Mobile y Ohio railroad
above and below TupelO: how Nan
Dorm. when about 10 encounter
Dickcy, so unanswered as to pass
through POntOtOc in The direction
of New Albany and ALLOW Dickey
to follow hun If he chose. or If he
preferred after noting the diree
ton of Van DO-n's march 10 20
aud report to Gran; AT Oxford.
that he had seen Van Dorm at the
head of his calvary moving north.
apparently bent on going into
Tennessee to join Forrest at Boil
var or jackson. As the story
goes, Dickey chose the latter al
tentative. The narrative shows
, the tactics of Van Dora in keep
ing the enemy always behind him.
never giving him an opportunity
TO get ahead and interfere with
the advance or give warning of
his approach. II also reveals how
well Van Dorm concealed from the
enemy his objective point As long
rs possible. and then moved so
pldly that hostile scouts or vi
detteS c, uli not report lis com
ing long enough il advance 10 be
any service to Col. Murphy in
command at Holly Springs.
Alter telling many amusing and
instructive incidents of the march
and how Van Dorn's troopers
halted about In o'clock on the
night o. December 10Th within five
miles of town. dismounted in grin
silence. and without fires, stood
ready at any moment TO remouat.
.@s- story enntinueS thus.
Before daylight an order vas
qnietly passed along To mount aud
form fours. IL Glanced u be the
day Tor The FIRST Mississippi cav
airy On the advance OF MeCul
lOug- sale. Lieut.. ). B. Day.
Of Co. u, SOxubee cavalry vas
IN command Of the advance guard.
and the front four were Bob White.
Groves Dantzle-. W. ID. DeupTes
aad = q. Deupree. The order
was al once given 10 move for
ward on two roads at a gallOp. TO
capture the piCkets or pursue
them so closely that no alarm
could pseeede Us. The wisdom Of
the order was appreciated by ali
and II was obeyed With alacrity.
The First Mississippi were to en-
ter town from the northeast.
charge through infantry with out
hating 10 tight or receive sur
renders, but az once to attack the
cavalry when discovered. Tae
Second Missouri we're TO dis
mount at the edge oftOwn. charge
on foot and capture or disperse
any infantry encountered. TIE
Texas brigade were 10 approach
from the east, coming in bv the
railroad depot, and thus prevent
any reeRtOreemenls from surpris-
lng US in that direction: a detaeh-
ment of Texans. also. were to go
south and watch the AbbeviIIe
road Jaekson's brigade were to
approach from the north. prevent.
ing possible reenfOrcemeRts from
Bolivar. as well as watching the
road coming from Memphis on the
west.
As we reared the town. we in.
creased our speed. Prisons First
Mississippi rode through in
sweeping gallOp, ignoring the in
iantry, many of whom awakened |
and startled by the charge. ran
out of their tents in night attire
and fred into our column. wound
ing nearly every horse in the ad
vance guard aud several of the
men. IS we approached the fair
grounds. the Second Illinois cav
airy. under Col. NeiIl and Mai. 1
Audd were in line, answering roll /
call. preparing TO go out aud look /
for Van Dorm as they had heard .
he was coming. Brave and
courageous, under gallant officers.
they boldly charged upon US with
drawn Sabres. cannot under.
take 10 recount all that occurred t
IN the melee, but mention only 4
some incidents that came under +
my own observation. Little Jere
Beasley, a lad of fifteen summers.
was about to be cut down by a
stalwart Federal. when Lieut.. Day
shot the daring rider with arm up
li.ted ready 10 strike the deadly /
blow. Our Maj. Wheeler had his
thumb cut off in sabre duel with
Federal officer. Adj. Lawrence
Yates was struck in the forehead. +
the blood gushing from the long
deep wound aud flooding his face
and neck. Ny own horse had ,
been shot twice as We. came
through the infantry and now Te-
ceived the third and fatal bullet
right between the eyes, and fell .
lifeless TO the ground. simply |
made breastworks of the dead 1
animal until | could catch the