The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-19

towns, apprised of our approach, had lcoiiected their strength. Their exact number cannot be ascertained, but 1t
 Is said by the prisoners we have talk len 10 have been a thousand. It is cer-
 tam they were very numerous, and
 that' relying with the utmost confi- ldence upon their strength their situa- ton and the assurance of their pro-
 phets, they calculated on repulsing us with great ease
 | Early on the morning of the 27th having encamped the preceding night at the distance SE six miles from them, l detached General Coffee, with Ithe mounted men and nearly the whole of the Indian force, to pass the river at good ford about three miles below the encampment, and to surround the pend In such a manner that none of them should escape by attempting to cross the river. With the remainder of the forces l proceeded along the point or the land which leads to the front | or their breatworks, and at lO:3O CLOCK a. m. had planted my artillery on a small emtnence distant from its nearest point about eighty yards, and rom Its farthest point about 25O, from whence l immediately opened a brisk
 nre upon the center with musketry ana rifles, and kept up a galling fire "HoheNer the enemy showed them- serves Denlnd their works or ventured 'o approach them. This was continued. with occasional intermissions, for about two hours. when Captain Rus sell company of spies and a part of the cherokee force, headed by their gallant chieftain, Colonel Richard broWn. and conducted by the brave Colonel Morgan, crossed over to the extremity of the peninsula in canoes ana set fire to a few of their buildinps whlch were there situated They then aoVanced with great gallantry towards ,no oreat"orks and commenced firing upon the enemy who lay behind 1t, flhdlng that the force, notwithstandinp the determined bravery they disnIaved was wholly insufficient to dislodpe +bo enemy and that General Coffee had se. cured the opposite bank of the river no" determined upon taking nos session of their works by storn, NeVer were men better disposed for such an undertaking than those hv "noin It was to be effected. They had ehtreated to be led to the charge with sne most pressing Importantly, and re- ceiVed the order which was now given Joy 'iohs or The effect was sucn as this +er,rar or mind foretold. The rpgular tronns
 ieu on by their intrepid and skilIfui Coiii'ndhuer' colonel Williams. and bv the gallant Major Montgomerv ryar. presently in possession of tha neorest
 sioe or the breastworks, and the mil
 tla accompanied them in the cbarga with vivactty and firmness which
 oou,u not nave been exceeded, and has description oh any | "A few companies of General nobo-
 tvs brigade, on the right, were Ied on with great gallantry by Colonel
 bunch, the advance guard by the Ad- Jutant General. and the left extrennitv
 or the line by Captain Gordon, of the lSpies, and Captain McMurry. of Gener- al Johnstone's brigade of west Tennas-
 see militia. Having maintained for A ltew minutes a very obstinate contest
 mu2zle to muzzle, through the port
 noies' In which many of the enemy's
 balls were welded to the bayonets of
 our muskets. our troops succeeded in gaining possession of the opposite side of the works The event could no Ilonger be doubtful The enemy al
 though many of them fought to the last with that kind of bravery which
 desperation inspires were at length routed and cut to pieces The whole
 margin of the river which surrounded
 the peninsula was strewed with the
 slain Five hundred and fifty-seven
 were found by officers of great respec-
 tability. whom I had ordered to count
 them; besides a very great number
 were thrown into the river by their
 surviving friends and killed in at-
 tempting to pass by General Coffee's
 men, stationed on the opposite bank.
 "" l do not know the exact
 number of prisoners taken, but 1t must Iexceed 300. all woman and children ex-