A reconnoissance yesterday, December eleventh, found no enemy at Morristown, but he was still miles up this Bear Creek, where we came to a A reconnoissance, the same day, on the Rohouse; found two men in it, with a double-bar- gersville road came up with the enemy at Moresrelled shot-gun loaded to the muzzle; also sev-burgh, nine miles above Bean Station. There eral very large salt-pans, which we set on fire. was heavy skirmishing for two or three hours. The salt we carried in carts to the creek and Several were wounded on our side. The loss of threw it overboard. We then returned to the the enemy was not known. gunboats and returned to Fort Macon, and were landed the next morning by eight o'clock. This is the first scout our commander (Colonel Jour-occupying the ground at Moresburgh. dan) has done on his own hook; but I can assure you, since he has met with such success, it will not be the last one. Both Colonel Jourdan and his command are very well pleased with the success of the expedition. There are a great many rumors of another expedition very soon. Let it come; we are always ready. Doc. 118. SLINGSHOT. THE RETREAT OF LONGSTREET. BEAN STATION, TENN., RUTLEDGE ROAD, ROAD, ASCERTAINING that the enemy had raised the siege, and were on the retreat early on Saturday morning, December fifth, General Shackleford, commanding the cavalry corps, was ordered in pursuit. He commenced skirmishing with the enemy's rear-guard eight miles from Knoxville, on the Rutledge and Morristown road. He drove them steadily to Bean Station, forty-two miles from Knoxville, where he found the enemy's cav alry in line of battle. On Thursday morning, Colonel Bond's brigade, of Woodford's division, was in the advance. He charged, and drove the enemy from the place. The retreating army had been foraging right and left along their line of retreat. He captured about one hundred and fifty prisoners during the pursuit as far as to Bean Station. Many of the rebels, both infantry and cavalry, purposely fell out and gave themselves up. There were more of infantry than of cavalry who fell into our hands. At Bean Station, General Shackleford received orders to halt his command and hold the place. He did so, and sent reconnoissances on the different roads. He ascertained that a large party of rebel cavalry had taken the Morristown road. Colonel Garrard's brigade, of Foster's division, was ordered to make a reconnoissance in that road. He came up with a rebel brigade of cavalry, under Jones, at Morristown, the same command who defeated him at Rogersville. He found the enemy occupying fortifications built by our men before the evacuation of that place. I must defer any mention of the position and movements of our infantry in this communication, for prudential reasons. The enemy, in superior force, have just been reported within a few miles of this place, (Bean Station,) and our cavalry fighting and slowly falling back. General Shackleford has his headquarters here. Being closely shut up, and constantly occupied with the operations of the enemy immediately around the city, I have not been able, until now, to furnish any trustworthy account of operations outside. These, fortunately for us, were of a character to occupy a considerable share of the enemy's attention, and oblige him to keep a large force of his cavalry busy beyond the immediate lines of the siege. The first important movement of the enemy, after they laid siege to Knoxville, was to send a large body of cavalry to Kingston, "to operate of November. On the twenty-sixth, as near as in that quarter." This was on the twenty-fourth I am able to ascertain, the cavalry under General Wheeler found Colonel Byrd's brigade strongly intrenched near Kingston, and after a fruitless siderable number of men, he withdrew. Wheeler effort to dislodge or capture him, and losing a conhereupon turned over his command to another. officer, and returned toward Chattanooga, ostensibly to take an infantry command. He narrow railroad trains fell into our hands. The_rebel ly escaped capture at Cleveland, where three cavalry returned to Knoxville, arriving on Saturday previous to the famous Sunday assault at Fort Sanders. On the seventeenth of November, Colonel Foster reports that communication was cut off beunder General Wilcox, stationed at and near Bull's tween the army at Knoxville and that portion eral Wilcox's whole command, crossed the HolsGap. On the eighteenth, his division, with Genton River, and camped at Bean Station. The Second cavalry brigade, Colonel Graham, was sent down to Blain's Cross-Roads, to attempt to open communication with Knoxville. He found a heavy force of the enemy's cavalry between that point and Knoxville, and, after some skirmishing, followed General Wilcox's column to Tazewell. Colonel Garrard, was despatched to Rogersville, From Bean Station, the First cavalry brigade, to watch the enemy's forces advancing from Vir He immediately engaged them, the fight lasting two hours, and drove them out of the town. The enemy lost between forty and fifty men. Eight were found dead on the field, and thirteen were left seriously or mortally wounded. Colo-ginia, and protect the rear of General Wilcox's nel Nicol, of Virginia, was killed. Captain John tain. They camped on the north bank of Clynch column and train while crossing Clynch MounHolt, of Kentucky, son of Joe Holt, was shot River. This brigade had some heavy skirmishthrough both thighs. See the Siege of Knoxville, Doc. 19, ante. VOL. VIII.-Doc. 30 ing with the division of the enemy's cavalry under Jones, and with the infantry under Ran som, as it passed down to join Longstreet. As soon as the Clynch River became_fordable after the rain, Colonel Graham's brigade crossed and encountered the enemy. On the sixth of December, the whole division was consolidated, and as soon as it became known that the enemy was retreating, they attempted to cross Clynch Mountain above the Gaps, and harass the enemy's flank; but these Gaps were heavily guarded by the enemy, protected by artillery, with a heavy blockade of fallen timber. Some sharp skirmishing developed the fact that it would be a useless destruction of life to force a passage over Clynch Mountain, and the division moved down to Blain's Gap Roads, and joined General Shackleford in the rear of the enemy. ed to turn his flank; but a timely movement to the rear prevented him from doing so. The Union forces were brought into close order under cover of a fence and log-barn near Yeadon's house. Here the enemy made a charge in column, which was splendidly met by our forces, and which proved decidedly disastrous to the enemy. A second onset was made, with increased fury, when our men fell back, manfully contesting every foot of ground to a point one mile from the river. Here we were reenforced by the One Hundred and Sixteenth and One Hundred and Eighteenth Indiana infantry, under Colonel Jackson. Our forces crossed the Clynch in good order, and there ended the contest. The enemy, according to reports of citizens and prisoners, consisted of five brigades of cavalry and mounted infantry, under command of Major-General Martino. The enemy intended to surround and capture Colonel Graham's command, but was foiled in his purpose. gade, was seriously, if not mortally, wounded; Colonel Graham, commanding the Second brigade, Second division of cavalry, reports that he marched from camp near the brigade over Powell River, on the main Cumberland Gap road, on the twenty-seventh of November, moving via Tazewell to Walker's Ford. On the twenty-eighth, The enemy's loss was admitted to be twentycrossed the Clynch, and bivouacked at Brooks's, five killed, about fifty wounded, and twenty-eight four miles distant. On the twenty-ninth, he prisoners. Major-General Martin was wounded moved to Maynardsville, and on the thirtieth in the wrist; Colonel Deboel, commanding brithence toward Knoxville, sending a detachment of the Fifth Indiana cavalry in advance. Having proceeded fifteen miles, he came up with a rebel patrolling party, and soon afterward learned that a considerable force was at Blain's Cross-Roads. He moved back to Maynardsville, and on the morning of December first his pickets were at- Sixty-fifth Indiana mounted infantry, two killtacked at the Gap, four miles below Maynards-ed and six wounded; Fifth Indiana cavalry, five ville, on the Knoxville road. men killed, two officers and ten men wounded, Reenforcements were sent, consisting of de- and ten missing; Fourth Illinois cavalry, seven tachments from each regiment and two of the men wounded, eleven missing. Total, seven killFourteenth Illinois howitzers. More or less fired, twenty-three wounded, twenty-one missing. ing continued during the day, both parties holding their ground. A scouting-party sent toward Blain's Cross-Roads was driven back. Finding that a considerable cavalry force was approaching, with a view of surrounding him, Colonel Graham, at midnight, fell back to Walker's Ford, leaving company M, Fifth Indiana cavalry, to guard the Maynardsville road. On the morning of the second, his pickets were attacked, but, notwithstanding his command had been marching all night, arrangements were made to meet and repel the attack. The Fourteenth Illinois cavalry were sent to the river and down the road, and a section of Colbin's battery was sent to Walker's Ford. At half-past seven A.M., the enemy forced in his pickets. The Sixty-fifth Indiana took position on the left of the line; a portion of the Second and Third batteries of the Fifth Indiana cavalry in the centre, and one company of the Sixty-fifth and one of the Fifth Indiana cavalry on the right. The guns of the Fifth Indiana cavalry were placed in position upon rising ground in rear of the centre, where they did good service in keeping the enemy in check. Three companies of the Fifth Indiana cavalry, under command of Major Woolley, and one section of Colvin's battery, under Captain Colvin, were placed in reserve. The firing became brisk, and the enemy attempt The report of Colonel Capron, of the Fourteenth Illinois cavalry, confirms the facts of the foregoing report, showing that the officers and men of his command twice repulsed the enemy, who charged with greatly superior force. The engagement began at ten A.M., and lasted until three P.M. They captured eighteen prisoners on the second and third of December. BEAN STATION, December 18, 1863. LATEST.—A reconnoissance to Morristown yesterday found the enemy in considerable (cavalry) force between that place and Russelville. There was some sharp skirmishing. killed and several wounded. Doc. 119. We lost four GENERAL WIRT ADAMS'S EXPEDITION. NATCHEZ, MISS, December 11, 1863. MR. EDITOR: It has been so long since you have had any warlike news from this military division, that you and the country have probably regarded this, the garden of Dixie, as neutral ground, and but for the restless spirits that are now in command of our forces, we would in all probability have sunk into the quiet and obscurity of good old Union times. Our military com dash which characterize their commanding officers. manders appear to have also taken this view. General Crocker and his brigade were withdrawn, leaving only two regiments under Col- Colonel Farrar, commanding at Vidalia, learnonel Johnson, and the Second and Sixth Mis- ed one afternoon, through a lady, that a military sissippi, of African descent, as a garrison. But ball was to be given that night at a Mr. Johnhardly had the forces been disposed off by the son's plantation, on Black River, thirty-three Colonel, so as to meet any probable contingency, miles distant. Unfortunately, the Colonel's or the last echoes of the steamer bearing off Gen-mounted force was on the Natchez side, having eral Crocker fairly died away, when the first mutterings of a coming storm aroused us from our fancied security. A couple of scouts, captured by Colonel Farrar, Thirtieth Missouri, told of a secret expedition then on the move from Clinton, in a southerly direction. Three days after, General Wirt Adams, with a cavalry command of two thousand five hundred men and ten pieces of artillery, passed through Washington, seven miles out, moving to the south of Natchez, as was reported. Colonel Farrar was sent out with a mounted force of fifty men, to feel the enemy, and obtain some reliable information of their movements. That same night, General Gersham arrived on steamers from Vicksburgh, with cavalry, infantry, and artillery, and moved out on the Palestine Road. The cavalry, six hundred strong, joined Colonel Farrar at Washington, who, assuming command, by order of General Gersham, pushed on in pursuit of the enemy, known to have been near Ellis's Cliffs, on the Woodville Road, twelve miles south of Natchez, the evening previous. The Colonel, by debouching to the left, and taking cross-roads through plantations, and aided by the darkness of the night, succeeded in bringing his command directly in the rear of the enemy, drove in their pickets, and forming his men in line of battle, held his position during the night. At daybreak, the enemy opened vigorously with artillery, and finding that the infantry could not possibly arrive in time to support him, the Colonel determined to fall back. The column was put in motion, the rear-guard skirmishing briskly with the enemy over three miles of the road, yielding foot by foot to the overwhelming foe, until at eight A.M., when General Gersham, with his infantry supports, came up. A line was formed, and their advance checked. Seeing that they would now have to fight on nearly equal terms, the chivalry drew back, and probably thinking that they were well out of their own trap, retreated with all speed on the Kingston Road. All being well mounted, pursuit would have been useless, and by nightfall they were far from Natchez. As usual, great excitement and alarm existed in the threatened city. The ladies, those inveterate secesh, thronged the streets, asking the few officers they met " if they were not scared?" It was worth a visit to their camps to see the behavior of our colored troops. The Second Mississippi artillery had just been armed, and the desire to get a shot at ole massa stuck out very plainly. They are getting to look very soldierly, and a funny little episode which occurred a few days previously, on the Louisiana side, evinced their mettle, and the spirit and! been scouting, and it was then too late to cross them to the Louisiana side. Determined not to let such an opportunity slip, he hastily mounted ten men of the Thirtieth Missouri and twentyfive of the Second Mississippi artillery, A. D., then on duty at that post, and with them, though not an invited guest, started for the scene of festivity. The route pursued led directly through the swamp, which being partially covered with water, rendered a rapid movement almost impossible. Nothing daunted, the little band pushed on, and by four o'clock A.M., had approached within half a mile of the house. Here dismounting, they moved cautiously along the unguarded road to within a few rods of the scene of mirth and merriment. The brilliant lights which gleamed from the windows, and the sweet cadence of the music, told that all went merry within. To rush through the gateway and surround the mansion was the work of a moment. Colonel Farrar and Captain Orgue dashing into the house, pistol in hand, demanded the surrender of every confederate officer and soldier there. They did this, will you believe it, O reader! followed by a squad of the rebels' own countrymen and brothers from the Second Mississippi heavy artillery of African descent! Of course the confederacy surrendered. Now, the Colonel, who is reputed to be as gallant as he is brave, not wishing to mar entirely so festive an occasion, kindly requested the guests to continue the dance. The music once more struck up; and not yet being too old for such enjoyment, the Colonel himself led upon the floor a fair and blushing daughter of the South, and with her was soon lost in the dizzy mazes of the waltz. Daybreak warned the little party of the danger of delay. The prisoners were hastily mounted on their own good steeds, adieus were given to their sorrowing friends, and each, with a sable guard by his side, commenced their northern journey. At eleven A.M., the little party had safely returned to Vidalia, accomplishing a march of sixty-six miles in fif teen hours. This is a good joke on the confederacy, and pays them for a similar trick played on some of our boys a year or so since, back of Memphis. Not the most agreeable part of the joke, so far as the secesh were concerned, was marching them through the city of Natchez between a dozen negro guards. Said one of them : "Can't we have a white guard, Colonel ?" "No;" said he, "the negroes took you, and it is right that they should guard you." Doc. 120. OPERATIONS IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. CHARLESTOWN, VA., Jan. 8, 1864. day last, in the vicinity of Mayfield, Kentucky, and had a skirmish which resulted in the capture of nine of the Nationals, the death of their guide, and the severe injury of the Sergeant commanding the detachment. From a party fully acquainted with the facts the following particulars of the affair were obtained: It appears that the citizens of Mayfield and sur y secesh, the Union men in the county numbering but about four hundred, and they have been in the habit of secreting bushwhackers and guerrillas, and doing many things which loyal parties call lending aid and comfort to the enemy. This the companies A and B, of the Fifty-eighth, lo Ar an early hour on the morning of the sixth instant, Colonel Boyd, commanding the cavalry brigade at Charlestown, started with his entire command and a section of artillery, for the pur-rounding country are nearly all of them strongpose of reconnoitring the enemy's force and position. For some days past considerable excite ment had prevailed relative to the intentions of Imboden and Early, and an attack upon Martinsburgh was considered imminent, until the timely arrival of General Averill restored confidence in our ability to resist and repel the enemy, in case such attack were made. In the mean time, how-cated in the vicinity, determined to put a stop ever, Imboden had remained stationary in the vicinity of Winchester, and it was considered advisable to feel his actual strength and force him to fall back to his old quarters. He seemed to have anticipated this plan of ours, for when our cavalry reached Winchester, he made a retrograde movement in the direction of Strasburgh. Accordingly, our force marched as far as Newtown, the First New-York cavalry, under command of Major Quinn, being in the advance. to. Hence scouting-parties were daily sent out to the distance of eighteen or twenty miles from Mayfield, with orders to arrest and bring in all suspicious characters, that they might have a trial before the proper commission. Some fifty or sixty rebel guerrillas, robbers, thieves, and murderers, have already been sent to Columbus as the result of these reconnoissances. It was skirmish of Wednesday last occurred. in the course of one of these expeditions that the Some of the men having accidentally heard that Sergeant J. Rowe, of Bureau County, with the notorious Captain Blackford and a few of his some fifteen men, including the scout Hood, a men were in a certain house in town, determined resident of Mayfield, but a Union man, mounted on capturing the party. Sergeant Edwin F. Sava- for the occasion upon mules, started out on col, company K, was the first to discover the lo- Wednesday to catch some guerrillas, reported to cality, although it was almost dark at the time. the number of ten or twelve, as being prowling Blackford succeeded in escaping from the house about the neighborhood, threatening to burn the by the rear, and took to the fields, closely fol- houses of loyal citizens, stealing horses and catlowed by Savacol, who ordered him to surrender. tle, and making mischief generally. They had He halted and held up his hands in token of sur-when they were suddenly brought to a halt by proceeded some seventeen miles from Mayfield, rendering. The Sergeant was satisfied and lowered his pistol, when the scoundrel immediately at the roadside. The Sergeant ordered a halt, a volley fired upon them from the under-brush fired upon him and wounded him in the thigh, but the next instant a bullet from the pistol of the Sergeant passed through the traitor's heart. Both fell almost at the same time-the rebel a corpse, and the gallant Union soldier writhing under his wound. In this condition they were discovered after the pistol-shots had attracted our men to the spot. Thus fell the notorious Blackford, the prince of horse-thieves, and a bushwhacker of the first water." To give merit its due, it is but just to say of Sergeant Savacol that this is not the first occasion when his coolness and determination have elicited for him the respect of his officers and the approbation of his comrades in arms; and as they gathered around to bear him from the field, each ardent spirit wished that "Ed's luck had been his." Doc. 121. told the men to dismount from their animals and however, being used to horseback fighting, prereturn the fire. This was performed. Hood, ferred to remain mounted, and was shot and instantly killed, falling from his horse, pierced by a bullet, at the roadside. Sergeant Rowe, being much exposed, received a ball through the hip, crushing the thigh-bone and inflicting what is supposed to be a mortal wound. After he had got down from his horse, however, and while enduring almost mortal agony, he saw a young private of the Fifty-eighth, named Tiffin, standing near him as though hesitating whether to shoot or not. The Sergeant cried out: "Fire upon the scoundrels! Why don't you fire?" The boy answered, coolly as a youth upon squirrel-shooting intent, dodging his head about, searching for something: "I'm not going to shoot until I see something to shoot at! There! I see something! And he aimed his musket, fired, and a guerrilla dropped to the ground, shot SKIRMISH NEAR MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY. through the heart. CAIRO, ILLINOIs, January 20, 1864. A DETACHMENT of the Fifty-eighth Illinois regiment, under the guidance of a citizen named Hood, met with the rebel guerrillas on Wednes But, notwithstanding the gallant conduct of our boys, they were overpowered by numbers, and fourteen captured, including Sergeant Rowe and Hood killed. The prisoners were as follows: privates Larkins and Conroy, of company A, and Shepherd, Scott, Scoville, Van Duzer, and Davidson, of company B, Fifty-eighth Illinois. Two of the Fifty-eighth escaped in gallant style. The officer commanding the guerrillas rode up to our men as they were standing where they had surrendered, ordered them to stack their arms, and concluding with the satisfactory threat that he was going to hang at least two of them on the spot. Young Tiffin, the lad mentioned as firing "after he saw something to fire at," thinking this was a hint for him, said he "couldn't see it," dropped his rifle to range, fired, killed the officer, and then made some tall walking into the timber, and escaped, although fired upon by the rebels several times. This example was followed by Skinner, of company B, another lad of only fifteen; he also bringing down his man, (it being proverbial with the Fifty-eighth that they leave but little for the rebel surgeons to do, when they get a chance to shoot,) and making good his escape to tall timbers. With the retreat of the two above, three others of the Fifty-eighth joined in; the entire five succeeding, as by a miracle, in reaching the Union lines that night in safety. found his missing men. It was finally decided It may be remarked of Tiffin that, before shooting the rebel officer, and after being threatened by him with hanging, his ready wit did not desert him, and he retorted that: "The rebels had better not be too lavish in the use of ropes, as the Union men would soon have need of all they had in their country in hanging up guerrillas." In a lad of sixteen this was not expected. Tiffin has made himself quite a hero by killing two rebels, and making such a speech on the occasion of his début on the stage of war. He is now in his regiment, ready to do further service for his SHERMAN'S MISSISSIPPI EXPEDITION. country. Doc. 122. DESPATCH FROM GENERAL SHERMAN. VICKSBURGH, February 27, viá After learning of the disaster which had befallen his men, Captain Lynch, at Mayfield, sent out Lieutenant Murphy and forty of the Fifty-Lien tenant-General Grant, care of Major-Geneighth, mounted on horses and mules, loaned by eral Halleck: the Union men of the vicinity, with orders to GENERAL: I got in this morning from Canton, bring back the prisoners at all hazards, even if where I left my army in splendid heart and conthey had to burn and destroy every thing com-dition. We reached Jackson February sixth, bustible in the country. The residents generally crossed the Pearl, and passed through Brandon treated the detachment with the greatest cour- to Morton, where the enemy made dispositions tesy, as it passed through to the town of Murray, some twenty-two miles from Mayfield, and not far from Louisville. Once, however, some rebel sympathizers misdirected Lieutenant Murphy, and delayed him several hours. He was accompanied by companies A and B, from which the killed, wounded, and captured of the Fifty-eighth had been taken; and it may be supposed they did not let grass grow under their feet as they sped along after the guerrillas. The weather was rainy, sleety, and cold, and the men suffered much; but they bore it unflinchingly, intent only upon rescuing their comrades, or taking bloody revenge upon the rebels. While upon this march, Lieutenant Murphy was the recipient of orders to report with companies A and B at Cairo, as quickly as possible. Upon his arrival at Murray, a consultation was held, and it was hurriedly debated whether it was his duty to obey orders or keep on until he We staid at Meri for battle, but fled in the night. We posted on |