The National tribune., 1909-04-29

remembered ever afterward with pleas
ure the beautiful sight presented by
the crossing of this ford, which was
one noted in the history of Gen. Jack
sons wars with the Indians. The long
array of horscmen winding between
green islands, with their glittering arms
and bright guidons, made a spectacle
worthy of the painters of the days
when knights were bold. 1a ~ n
That night the command halted at
Estehawba, 25 miles from the Coosa. in
the midst of fertile, well-cultivated
country. The next day, July 10, the
railroad from Selma was reached at
Talladega and the depot burned, with
J large stock of leather, inter, salt.
shoes. cotton and crain. About 100, 600
rations of sugar and salt, 20, 900 of flour
and bacon were found, and what the
command could not use was destroyed.
In the hospital were found 143 sick
and wounded soldiers, and the gun fac
tory was disabled by destroying its ma
chinery. The building itself could not
be burned without exposing a large part
! of the town to destruction, which Gen.
Rousseau humanely refused to allow.
Rousseau gave the impression that he
was moving upon Montgomery, in order
to lead the enemy to concentrate for
the defense of that place. 1t was de-
sirable that they should do so, to leave
| the crossing of the Taliapoosa free.
This stream was fordable in but a few
places, and opposition there might be
embarrassing The river was reached
and crossed with some difficulty, and
the command pressed on toward the
Atlanta & Montgomery Railroad, with
occasional encounters with some par
ties of guerrillas and regular cavalry.
The railroad was reached at Loacke.
/ polka Station, 4S miles from Montgom-
cry.
Destroying the Railroad.
The railroad was one that lent itself
easily to the work of destruction which
was now in order. 1t was constructed
| by laying heavy pine stringers upon
pine ties. The track was light strap
iron spiked to these stringers. The ties
and stringers were dry. full of resin,
and combustible as tinder Twenty or
80 men would upend 100 feet at time,
pile them together, throw fence rails
and light wood chunks upon them,
| touch a match, and in an instant 1t
would be a mass of seething flame. The
strap rails would be twisted and dis
torted beyond any hope of straighten-
Ing out by any mills in the Confeder-
acy. AT Loackepoka enough -four, oats
and corn were found to feed the men
and horses.
| There was an exciting time during
the night not set down in the program
Some of the railroad buildings caught
fire from the burning ties, and It looked
/ as If the town would be DESTROYED. The
flames sprang to the woods where the
horses were picketed, and it was feared
for awhile that stampede would leave
| the command horseless. After making
their horses secure the men. under the
| lead of Gen. Rousseau. set themselves
to work to save the town, and many of
the residences were preserved by a Wig
| orous wetting down. Fhe road was
wrecked for several miles, and loco
motive coming from Opeiika was de-
stroyed
Maj. Baird. with four companies Of
\ the 5th Iowa and four of the 4th Tenn,
went to Chehaw Station. He destroyed
a large trestle bridge, but encountered
a heavy force coming out from Mont
gomery by rail- and brisk fight en-
sued, which was brought to a Yictori-
Gus conclusion by two companies of the
Sth Ind. turning the enemy's flank and
pouring in heavy fire from their
/ Spencer rifles. Opeiika and the roads
| radiating from 1t were destroyed, with
the depot building, turntables, cars,
switches, tanks, etc. Thirty Thousand
| rations of flour and bacon were taken,
from which the command supplied it.
self and destroyed the remainder AL
| together more than 80 iiiles of track
had been rendered useless. in addition
to other damage done. The work of
the expedition was a perfect success
and. as rebel prisoner remarked, II
had made "a big hole in Joe Johnston's
haversack." The command had now
marched over 800 miles in nine days,
and penetrated 109 miles in the rear
of Johnston's army.
The Return.
The return threatened to be more
difficult by far than the advance. Rous-
seau had had the advantage of a certain
amount of surprise to his enemy and
OF dubiousness as to what point the
Federal commander was aiming at AS
soon as he turned back, however, it was
an easier task to interpose between him
and the Union lines. He was march
ing perilously near Johnston's left flank
with the liability of parties coming out
upon every road to intercept him A
strong force gathered at West Point to