The National tribune., 1907-10-24
Capture of Colu.abus, Ga.

III sAii soii'' IA Pc''AtA'Ai-
Capture of COlu.nbus, Ga.
The division moving on the lower
Crawford read arrived about 2 p. m.
opposite the lower bridge. Col. Eggle
ston, commanding the advance, imme
diately charged to secure it, but was
received with a heavy fire OF artillery
and musketry, while the bridge, pre-
viOuSly prepared with combustible ma
terial, WAS at the same time fred. He
then retired behind the ridge. Rod
ney's Battery fired a few shots, which
developed the position of the enemy's
artillery 1t being impossible to attack
successfully the tete-de-pont from this
direction, Gen. Alexauders Brigade was
placed in position along the crest of the
lower ridge, while Gen. Winslow's Bri-
gade, making wide detour, was sent
under cover across the Sunmerfield
road on the upper ridge. His brigade
was preceded by two companies of the
5th Iowa Cav, who drove in the op
posing picket and charged gal!antly
upon strong line of works, which in
the darkness appeared to be the enc
my's main position. Gen. WinslOw at
once disposed his command for the at
tack, the plan OF which was to pene-
trate the work with dismounted men,
and then send the mounted force thru
the breach with instructions to charge
directly upon the bridge.
The assault was made about p. m.
by six companies of the Sd Iowa Cav.
The front line of works was soon car
ried, which, being mistaken for the
main line, two companies of the 10th
Mo. Cav. were ordered to charge to the
bridge The bridge was projected by
artillery at both entrance and exit, and,
being a covered bridge, the framework
had been stuffed with cotton saturated
with tar ready to be promptly ig-
nited and burned should our troops
gain entrance. The 10th Mo. Cav, sup
posed by the enemy to he his own men,
passed thru the works on the Summer
vile road unharmed charged and Sc
cured the bridge, capturing many pris-
oners, but not stopping to take up any.
Our cavalry mixed with the rebel troops
and passed on thru the bridge, thus
gaining the enemy's side OF the river.
The Sd Iowa pressed forward thru a
slashing 100 yards deep, and after a
charge unexampled in cavalry service,
and with but few parallels in infantry,
crowned the works Gen. Winsiow
promptly followed up the success, ig
noring the redoubt on the right. which
still continued its fire. The 4th Iowa
Cav. dismounted. passed thru the
breach, turned to the right, charged the
redoubt. capturing 10 guns, and then
sweeping across the bridge with the fly
ing rebels, captured the two howitzers
loaded with canister at the opposite end.
Mounted companies from the same reg
iment followed in the rear, and after
crossing the bridge turned to the right
and charged in flank the works at the
lower bridge, capturing many prisoners
and three guns at that point By 10
lp. m. Columbus, with its vast munitions
of war, 1900 prisoners and 20 guns,
was in our hands. This victory, which
was the closing conflict of the war, was
achieved with the loss of but 80 men
killed and wounded.
At Columbus there were large fac
tories for the manufacture of Confed-
crate army clothing and munitions of
war. AS soon as our troops were in
possession of the town the inhabitants
swarmed into the streets, stormed ware
houses and supplied themselves with all
kinds of merchandise that they could
carry, after which all warehouses con-
tanning Confederate supplies, ordnance
and several steamboats, were destroyed
At Columbus 1900 prisoners, So field
guns. all in position against u.s. and
large quantities of arms and stores fell
Into our hands. The rebel force defend
ing the works was over 5000 men. They
could not believe that they had been
dislodged from their works by 800 men,
Thus We had captured an important
city--the key of Georgia-400 miles
from our starting point.
| AS 1t was important for the capture
of Macon that no time be lost, the COM
mand halted at Columbus only long
enough to destroy rebel property.
On April II the Second Division
moved on the advance, and on the 18th
the whole command followed the Sec
ond Division. At p. m. on the 18th
the 4th Mich. and Sd Ohio Cav. started
in the advance, marched all night,
pressing the rebels SO rapidly that they
lwere forced to abandon three pieces Of