Cross-Roads intending thence to strike the of the soldiers and their officers, as through the road through Lexington for Clifton, their pro- gauze and red lights you have witnessed in the posed crossing-place of the Tennessee River. denouement of a drama on the mimic stage. You The start of Colonel Dunham's force from Clarks- hear, you see, you conceive that something awville was made early on the morning of the thirty-fully tragic, something terribly sublime, is being first. The Cross-Roads were reached at nine enacted before your eyes, yet, until you approach o'clock. What was the surprise of Colonel Dun- and mingle with the dead and wounded, and see ham to find his little brigade confronting, drawn the red life-current at your feet, hear the dying up in a field of about a mile and a quarter in groans of your countrymen, and feel that you are length, and one mile in width, supported in powerless to aid that a Power higher than a front by three batteries, on elevated points or human power can only succor and protect in that hillocks, seemingly made expressly for the pur- dread hour-you cannot appreciate the feelings pose, and rather encircling with cavalry and dis- of those engaged upon the battle-field. mounted horsemen the road where he should pass, over seven thousand confederates, all under the command of the redoubtable Forrest in person. There was no time to run, if he would which was not his forte and all he had before him was to fight it out. This he proceeded coolly to do.

The enemy made the attack with their batteries, which were in position to rake Dunham's brigade completely, situated as they were upon slight knolls or mounds. Their dismounted cavalry, used as infantry, were posted in the rear of the first battery. Behind two columns of these were planted two batteries, and then to the left and right of these, still further to the south, were ranged the main force of the confederates, consisting of mounted riflemen.

And still, without hope, almost, without ammunition for his battery-for it had at the end of three hours given out entirely and could not be replenished-Colonel Dunham and his gallant men held their position. The hour had come. They had to fall back. They did so, and each soldier in his place, slowly, steadily, as though on parade; still firing volley after volley, and closely pressed by the confederate cavalry. A sudden movement of the enemy to the right, and our brigade was hemmed in-surrounded. But they did not give up. Yet there was a cartridge in the box, there was a musket in hand, the Stars and Stripes were above their heads. Before their eyes were the rebels, and in their very faces the hated stars and bars were fluttering. The hearts of oak flinched not. Still they fought. Seeing their helpless condition, and not knowing whenif ever-the Yankee commander would consider himself whipped, Forrest ordered a cessation of the conflict, and a parley ensued. A flag of truce came to Colonel Dunham, demanding an unconditional surrender. He sent back word he "never surrendered. If they wanted to take him and his force they had got to fight to the bitter end." This was gaining time. It was high noon. The First brigade could not be far away. This answer had been returned to Forrest, and he was deliberating what next to do, when, over a knoll, just in sight, came General Sullivan in person, closely followed by General Haynie. Behind them came the artillery, the infantry, all on the double-quick, which, for more than three miles, the entire brigade, led on by the noise of the conflict, had kept up without cessation.

Dunham's brigade formed immediately in solid column, in about a straight line south of the batteries, thinking there best to maintain a footing. It was a good stand-point, but overpowering numbers soon made it a bad one, for, toward the close of the fight, the rebels had managed to flank the Federals and deploy men enough to the left and right to cut them off completely from retreat. But this was not until the battle had lasted some three hours, so stubbornly did Dunham's men contest the ground, inch by inch, all the time under the galling fire of the confederate cannon. So strongly did they fight, even before they brought their own battery to position, so accurate was their aim and invincible their wills, that for a time it was not certain they would not drive the entire seven thousand before them. But this could not last. The enemy was fresh; they had ammunition in plenty, and their position The scene at this moment was impressive in the that of their own choice. The reader has the extreme. The firing had almost ceased. The scene plainly before him: the small force of Federals in compact and orderly array, stood firm, Union troops, under the old flag, standing firm as before stated, entirely surrounded by rebels. before three times their own number; Colonel The First brigade coming up the lane leading to Dunham and his aids in the thickest of the fight, Parker's house, headed by the artillery and the waving their swords and urging their men to more commanding officers, General Sullivan about a chivalrous deeds, and all this in the midst of fly- hundred yards in advance of General Haynie, ing shot, rifle bullets, and bursting shell-the turned on his horse and shouted: "Here they din of battle rendering the voice of commanders are! Hurry up that artillery!' The order was useless, almost, and drowning all vocal efforts repeated by Haynie, and the artillery and the inbeneath the deep bass of the roaring cannon. fantry did hurry up with a vengeance. It was The smoke of burning powder; the dust created not until the artillery reached the top of the by ploughing solid shot as it struck the earth, knoll in the lane, which was crowded with conenveloping men, horses, batteries; all, as with federate soldiers, had unlimbered, and was prethe panoply of an impending storm. Through paring to open upon them, the infantry had de this veil you see the flash of artillery, blaze from ployed at double-quick, and was rushing upon musket and rifle, and the shadowy movements them at a charge bayonet, that the confederate

leaders seemed to appreciate the fact they were
attacked. In reality, so sudden was the onslaught,
that even Colonel Dunham's men forgot to fire
upon the enemy, and stood apparently transfixed,
until the Second brigade had actually scattered
the intervening foe, and captured cannon after
cannon of their batteries, the rebels succeeding
in escaping with but three out of nine, one hav-
ing exploded in their hands. The rebels in the
lane were dismounted. They scattered like a
flock of sheep, but were nearly all captured.
Those further on, and upon horseback, did not
pause to see the result, but ran for cover of the
adjacent forest as fast as their horses could carry
them. Forrest himself was one of the first to fol-
low this example. His Adjutant-General Strange
was not so fortunate, and became a prisoner. So
quickly was the fight ended by their appearance
upon the scene, that there was hardly any thing
done on either side afterward-except running.
The newly arrived battery had not a chance to
fire a single gun.
The rebel artillerymen fled
with the rest, and could not be driven to their
position by the most frantic exertions of their
officers.

The battle was won. There were then three cheers and a tiger by the First and Second brigades, and after that followed congratulations and words of thankfulness such as men in peril suddenly saved can only speak.

The loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners, of the Union troops did not exceed one hundred. Among the wounded was Colonel Ranaker, who was struck in the leg with a bullet. His wound is serious, but not considered dangerous. The principal loss chanced to fall upon members of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois regiment. Lieut.-Colonel Redfield was wounded in the shoulder severely. Captain Brown of the Thirty-ninth Iowa, in the chest, supposed mortally. There were no field or commissioned officers on our part killed. Lieutenant Scott of the Eleventh Illinois cavalry, connected with General Sullivan's staff, but acting on this occasion as an aid to Colonel Dunham, was taken prisoner. A few of our privates were also captured, but their names have not as yet been reported.

January, General Sullivan met Colonel Lawler
with a fresh brigade, which force he added to
Fuller's brigade, and despatched in pursuit of the
flying enemy, Colonel Lawler in command. It
was thought that the enemy might be overtaken
at Clifton, provided gunboats reported to be there
had stopped them, and not permitted them to
cross the river. There is as yet no report from
this expedition. It is to be hoped that Forrest
may not be allowed to quit the country in con-
dition to organize another raid like that of which
I have attempted to give the history above.
T. H. W.

CHATTANOOGA "REBEL" ACCOUNT.

Subjoined from the Chattanooga Rebel of the thirtieth, is the first Southern account of the fight at Parker's Cross-Roads, between Generals Forrest and Sullivan.

Mr. John P. Lee and Mr. Wm. Leady, of this place, returned to-day (Wednesday) from Clifton, Wayne County, Tennessee, where they met Gen. Forrest's forces returning from Parker's CrossRoads, West-Tennessee, where they had a desperate fight with an overwhelming force of the abolitionists. These gentlemen were with Col. Russell's command twenty-four hours, and had a fine opportunity of learning the facts, and report them as follows:

On the thirty-first of December, Gen. Forrest was returning from his successful expedition for cutting Grant's and Sherman's communications with the North, and destroying their supplieshaving destroyed the Mobile and Ohio Railroad bridges and trestles from Jackson to Union City, tearing up the road and burning the cross-ties and iron, and doing the same for the Memphis and Ohio Railroad -- capturing and paroling two thousand prisoners, taking four cannon, and a large number of small arms.

At Parker's Cross-Roads, about thirty miles north-west of Lexington, he encountered a large body of the enemy, seven full regiments, supposed to be five thousand, and they raised the white flag in token of surrender. He approached to receive their arms, when another heavy column of ten regiments came on his flank and On the part of the rebels, the actual loss in rear, and began to fire on his men, and the porkilled, wounded and taken prisoners, as reported tion who had raised the white flag treacherously by Forrest himself to a Federal officer he cap-joined in the firing. The gallant Forrest and his tured, but subsequently released, was fully one brave men returned the fire vigorously. They thousand. Among the killed were Colonel Nap- had only ten rounds of ammunition, fired six pier, a Lieutenant-Colonel and a Major, names not rounds, and then fought their way out, with a learned. Among the prisoners were Forrest's loss of five hundred in killed, wounded and missAdjutant-General Strange, Colonel McKee, an ing. The killed are estimated at about fifty, the aid of Forrest's, Colonel Cox of the Tennessee wounded at one hundred and fifty to two hun militia, Major Lee, and fifteen other line and dred. The rest are prisoners. The wounded commissioned officers. We also captured four also fell into the hands of the enemy. hundred men, six guns, all their caissons, limbers and contents, four hundred or five hundred horses, saddles, accoutrements, etc., a large amount of small arms, wagons, ambulances, mules, camp equipage, tents, etc., etc., all of which were forwarded to Lexington on the ensuing day-the initial day of the new year.

Upon returning to Lexington on the first of

It is said that, in fighting their way out, our brave troops massed themselves in a solid column and charged the enemy's column that had come upon their rear. The cool and intrepid Forrest remained in the rear to select his scattered mea and bring them out, and the enemy close up their column, after the most of Forrest's men had passed through, and came very near catch

ing him. He escaped by riding at full speed along a ravine and leaping his horse over a tenrail fence. One who witnessed his escape, said the last he saw of Forrest, he was flying over the fence lying flat on his horse, and hundreds of bullets were flying after him. One bullet passed through his hat. Strange to say, not one man was lost in fighting their way out.

Forrest went over with about three thousand five hundred men, and came back with about three thousand. Besides losing five hundred men, one of his mountain howitzers burst in the last fight, and the enemy captured three, leaving him six cannon - his original number. He crossed the Tennessee River at and near Clifton, Tennessee, a little north-east of Lexington, on Thursday night and Friday morning, and camped at Clinton until Sunday morning. The enemy came, eight thousand strong, Saturday afternoon, and formed a line of battle, and some fighting took place across the river, which was three hundred yards wide. Forrest brought his artillery to bear on the abolitionists, and they retired. It is positively asserted that Forrest, with his pistol, killed one abolitionist across the river. The command rode ninety miles without getting out of their saddles, and with little or nothing to eat. They have returned to Mount Pleasant, Tennessee.

Mr. Leady furnishes us with the following list of casualties: Killed- Burgess, Dr. Cowan, T. T. Lipscomb, Logan Reedy, Captain Ed. Wallace, Mike White.

down condition, and the Corypheus as her escort. The positions of the vessels were as shown by the accompanying chart. The United States troops on shore consisted of two hundred and sixty rank and file, commanded by Colonel Burrill, of the Forty-second Massachusetts volunteers, occupying, by advice of the commanding naval officer, a wharf in the town.

It seems that the night previous to the attack, information had been received by the commanding officers of both land and naval forces that such an attempt might be made.

At half-past one A.M., on the first of January, it being bright moonlight, some two or three rebel steamers were discovered in the bay above by the Clifton. The Westfield, from the other channel, likewise made the same discovery. The naval forces, therefore, were not taken by surprise.

Very soon after, our troops on shore learned through their pickets, that the artillery of the enemy was in possession of the market-place, about one quarter of a mile distant.

The attack commenced on shore about three A.M., by the enemy upon our troops, which were defended by the Sachem and Corypheus with great energy; our troops only replying with musketry, having no artillery. About dawn thể Harriet Lane was attacked, or rather attacked two rebel steamers, one of which, the Bayou City, was armed with a sixty-eight pounder rifled gun, had two hundred troops, and was barricaded with cotton bales some twenty feet from the water-line. The other, the Neptune, was simiWounded-Captain R. Whitman, right hand larly barricaded, and was armed with two small and side; B. Nichols, right side; W. B. Ford, brass field-pieces, and one hundred and sixty left side; Mixon, left side; Terry, right thigh; men, (both were common river steamers.) The Morris, left shoulder; Peter Binford, right leg; Harriet Lane was under way in time, and went Brazelton Skidmore, James W. Franks, D. Mor-up to the attack firing her bow gun, which was ton, Lieut. Arthur H. Beard, Cheshire Thornburg, Wm. Bassett, Joe Wall.

We are promised an official report of our loss in a day or two. The abolition loss is reported heavy, but the number not known.

— Memphis Argus, January 31.

Doc. 95.

answered by the rebels, but their sixty-eight pounder burst at the third fire.

The Harriet Lane ran into the Bayou City, carrying away her wheel-guard, which did her little or no damage. The other rebel steamer then ran into the Harriet Lane, but was so disabled by the collision that she was soon afterward obliged to back in the flats, where she sank in about eight feet of water, near to the scene of action. The Bayou City turned and ran into the Harriet Lane, and she remained secured to her by catching under her guard, pouring in incessant

ATTACK ON GALVESTON, TEXAS. THE following is the official report of the court of inquiry ordered by Admiral Farragut, to in-volleys of musketry, as did also the other steam

vestigate the Galveston disaster:

UNITED STATES STEAM SLOOP HARTFORD,
AT ANCHOR OFF NEW-ORLEANS, Jan. 12, 1863.

SIR: In conformity with your instructions, we proceed to state the facts in relation to the capture of Galveston, Texas, on the first of January, 1863, as elicited by the testimony before the court of inquiry.

The naval force in possession consisted of the Westfield, Clifton, Harriet Lane, Owasco, Sachem, and Corypheus. The two latter had joined only two days previous to the attack, having come up from below, the Sachem (steamer) in a brokenVOL. VI.-Doc. 22.

er, which was returned by the Harriet Lane, with musketry. This drove the Harriet Lane's men from her guns, and probably wounded Commander Wainwright and Lieutenant Commander Lee, the latter mortally. She was then carried by boarding, by the Bayou City, her commander summoned to surrender, which he refused, gallantly defending himself with his revolver until killed.

But five of the Harriet Lane's men were killed and five wounded – one hundred and ten, exclusive of officers and wounded, were landed on shore, prisoners. Her Commander and First Lieutenant were buried on the following day on

in overpowering numbers, upon the handful of United States soldiers, who, supported by a few war-vessels, have held the place in nominal subjection. That the former had been killed or taken prisoners, the Harriet Lane captured, and, worst of all, the Westfield, the flag-ship of the flotilla, blown to pieces, involving the destruction of Commodore Renshaw, its commander, and a number of officers and men, just as he was abandoning his vessel. Inquiry traced the rumor to a telegraphic despatch received by General Banks from down the river. For an hour or two its purport was questioned, contested, disbelieved-presently admitted, but indefinitely. This morning brings confirmation, in all its appalling particulars.

I derive the following narrative (which I shall endeavor to render as clear and coherent as is possible) from Major W. L. Burt, of Gen. Hamilton's staff, who has this morning returned from the scene of the recent tragedy. He was despatched thither as the General's representative in his future capacity of Military Governor of Texas; his duties comprising the assisting of Union men, and the raising of recruits for the wresting of the State from the bloody misrule of treason now rampant there. With him went also Capt. S. W. Cozzens, of Texas, to be assigned to a command. Both gentlemen left this port in the Mary A. Boardman, on the night of Monday, December twenty-ninth, just six days ago. Before I relate Major Burt's experience, it is advisable to mention a few preliminary details necessary to the understanding of his story.

what sanguinary shape the contingency appeared, will presently be narrated.

There were in Galveston, up to within a week of the attack, absolutely no troops, the place being held merely by the naval arm. Two regi ments had been ordered thither, the Forty-second Massachusetts, Col. Burrill, the Twenty-third Connecticut, Colonel with one battery, the Second Vermont, under command of Capt. Holcomb; also a fraction of the First Texas cavalry, the expected nucleus of a regiment. Of these troops, only the Forty-second Massachusetts embarked for Texas, on or before the twenty-fifth of December, the Twenty-third Connecticut remaining at Ship Island, where it still is. The firstmentioned regiment went in three transports, under the respective charges of its Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major. The vessels being slow, only three companies of this regiment, under Col. Burrill, had arrived, landing on a wharf near the upper part of Galveston. There they took possession of one of the churches as a look-out, and waited the arrival of their comrades. They were, in all, about three hundred men; not enough to establish pickets. They relied entirely on the vicinity of the gunboats for their safety and protection. The Saxon, which had brought them, still lay in the harbor, outside the bar, in shoalwater, with Commodore Rensaw's flag-ship Westfield, the gunboats Clifton and Owasco, in addition to the Harriet Lane, keeping watch and ward over the silent city. Such was the condition of Galveston up to the thirtieth of December. I append a brief list of the armament of the vessels, in order to complete this part of the subject.

Flag-ship Westfield, Commodore Renshaw-two nine-inch guns, four sixty-eight pounders, two rifled guns.

The Harriet Lane, Captain Wainwright-three nine-inch guns, one thirty-pound rifled gun, four twenty-pounders.

The Clifton, Captain Law-two nine-inch guns, four thirty-two pounders, one pivot rifled gun. The Owasco, Captain Wilson-one eleven-inch gun, one thirty-pound rifled gun, four twenty-fourpound howitzers.

At Galveston the position of affairs was as follows: The town, attacked and taken by Commodore Renshaw on October tenth, 1862, the rebels flying upon the appearance of the gunboats, had remained, in a comparatively deserted condition, under their control. It was held merely as a landing-place for future operations, and occupied principally by Union refugees, fugitives from the terrorism of the interior. We had barely the city and island upon which it stands, a mere sand-bank, thirty miles long, not over two in width, and connecting with the interior by a bridge of two miles in extent, built upon cedar piles. Over this bridge the Galveston and Hous- The Mary A. Boardman, the Honduras, and the ton Railroad crosses West Bay and enters the Cumbria were excepted. The first (a propeller, former city. Unfortunately no attempt had been built for Chinese waters) was laden with stores made to destroy this structure, in consideration and forage; the second carried the Vermont batof its past and possibly future usefulness, a mark tery before spoken of; and the Cumbria (captured of consideration which the rebels have improved off Charleston) contained a number of Texas reto bloody advantage. They had exclusive pos- fugees, embryo United States cavalrymen, with session of it, coming and going at pleasure, con- one thousand stand of arms for the use of their trolling it by means of three batteries at Virginia loyal countrymen. These vessels were to have left Point-the north, or mainland end—and by an- New-Orleans on or about December twenty-sevother, on the island end, at a spot called Eagle enth. None of them, however, got off until two Grove. A sort of tacit compromise seems to have days later, when, as already related, the Mary A. existed, by which the enemy agreed neither to Boardman steamed southward for Galveston, and use the bridge for belligerent purposes, nor to mo- with her the Honduras, leaving the slower Cumlest the Harriet Lane, on duty guarding it, while bria to bring up the rear, full forty-eight hours she refrained from shell practice on the batteries, subsequent. The Mary A. Boardman parted with until an active necessity arose for doing so, con- her companion at the Delta of the Mississippi, on tenting herself with mutely menacing them, and the bar of the South-West Pass, and henceforcommanding both the bridge and the four miles ward held on her way alone. At four o'clock on space intervening between it and the city. In the afternoon of December thirty-first she arrived