USA > Illinois > History of the Fourth Illinois cavalry regiment > Part 9
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I had timely notice of the advance of Forest on the road in the neighborhood of Jackson and took every means to meet it. General Sullivan was re-inforced from the army with me and forces from Corinth, Fort Heiman, Fort Henry and Fort Donaldson sent to co-operate.
As the enemy's force was all cavalry and General Sullivan's nearly all infantry it is possible that they have succeeded in evading our troops so as to do damage to the railroads. But the extent I have not yet learned. Before any decisive move had been made by General Sullivan against the enemy, or by the enemy on our railroad, communications was cut between us and a formidable movement of cavalry from Grenada reported going north.
This force assembled first at Pontotoc and as Colonel Dickey was out to the east on the Mobile road, with about half of my available cavalry, I concluded it was to cut him off. I immediately ordered all the cavalry that could be spared to Pontotoc and two brigades of infantry with
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them, with directions to operate from there for the relief of Colonel Dickey.
Before these troops got in motion, however, I learned of the rebel cavalry passing north from Pontotoc and of Colonel Dickey passing safely by their rear. I immediately notified al' commands north of me to Bolivar of this move of the enemy and to be prepared to meet them and to hold their respective posts at all hazards.
Except this place all have done well, the enemy being repulsed at Coldwater, Davis Mill, Bolivar and Middleburg. This place was taken while the troops were quietly in bed. The commanding officer of the post, Colonel R. C. Murphy of the Eighth Wisconsin Volunteers, took no steps to protect the place, not having notified a single officer of his command of the danger, although he himself had received warning as herein before stated.
The troops cannot be blamed in the matter for they found themselves surrounded, the first information they had of the approaching enemy. Notwithstanding this surprise, many of the troops behaved nobly, refusing to be paroled and, after making their escape from the enemy, attacking him without regard to their relative forces.
Conspicuous among this latter was the Second Illinois Cavalry which was stationed here at the time. Our loss will probably amount to $400,000 worth of property and 1500 taken prisoners.
As soon as I learned the rebel cavalry had moved north from Pontotoc and that Colonel Dickey was safe, I ordered all the cavalry that could be spared for the purpose, about 1500 men, to pursue the enemy and not leave them until they were captured or completely broken up. They found them near Bolivar and were close upon their heels all day yesterday, compelling the enemy to change his course southward, killing and capturing quite a number.
Last night the federals and rebels encamped near Salsburg and I presume the pursuit is still going on. I am now occupying the line of the Tallahatchie, with the road
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strongly guarded to the rear, waiting for communication to be opened so as to know what move to make next.
It is perfectly impracticable to go further south by this route, depending on the road for supplies and the country does not afford them. Our immense train have been so far fed entirely off the country, and as far as practicable the troops have been also.
For fifteen miles east and west of the railroad from Coffeeville to LaGrange, nearly everything for the subsistence of man or beast has been appropriated for the use of our army, and on leaving our advanced position I had the principle mills destroyed.
The expedition under Colonel Dickey was quite successful. While out he captured about 200 rebels with a fair portion of horses, arms and equipments, found large quantities of corn collected on the Mobile road which he destroyed, also a few cars. The road was completely broken up from Saltillo to south of Tupelo.
U. S. GRANT, Major General.
Following is a report from Major General U. S. Grant to J. C. Kelton, Washington, D. C .:
Holly Springs, Jan. 2, 1863 :- Herewith I enclose you report of Colonels Dodge and Mercer of the Ninth Illinois Infantry of our expedition from Corinth on the Ohio and Mobile roads. I at the same time sent Colonel Dickey of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry with about 1000 men from Springdale, Mississippi, to co-operate.
No official report is yet received from Colonel Dickey but his expedition was successful. He struck the railroad at Tupelo and travaled south about thirty-five miles, destroying all the bridges for the whole of the distance and a large amount of grain that had been collected along the line of the road for the use of the rebel army. He also destroyed some cars, captured about 120 prisoners, some teams and garrison equipments. U. S. GRANT, Major General.
From General Grierson's report of the pursuit of VanDorn, dated Dec. 29, 1862, I take the following :--
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Captain Fisk of the Fourth Illinois and Captain Lynch of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry distinguished themselves by their perserverence in following the trail of the enemy from the Brownville road to the Middleburg road. Lieutenants Wilson and Charlesworth of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry deserve notice for the bravery and success with which they conducted the scout to the enemy's camp on the night of the 24th. Respectfully your obedient servant,
B. H. GRIERSON, Colonel Sixth Illinois Cavalry.
Following is the report of Colonel T. Lyle Dickey to Lieutenant Colonel J. A. Rawlins, Assistant Adjutant General .:
Headquarters of Cavalry Division, Thirteenth Army Corps near Oxford, Mississippi, Dec. 20, 1862 :- I beg leave to report to Major General U. S. Grant, Commander of the Department that his order commanding me to take part of my division of cavalry and strike the Mobile and Ohio railroad as far south as practicable and destroy it as much as possible, was received about eleven o'clock the night of the 13th inst., two miles east of Water Valley.
Colonel Hatch commanding the Second Brigade was ordered to report to me at 8:30 a. m. on the 14th with eighty picked men from his command, properly officered, well mounted, well armed and with forty rounds of ammunition with rations of hard bread of salt and ready for six days scout, with no more wagons than necessary to haul the rations.
Major Ricker with a battalion of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry was sent to the south from Paris to make a demonstration toward Greneda. The residue of the Second Brigade was sent with the train to the rear to camp upon the Yockena river. Colonel Miesner was ordered to take command of the First and Third Brigade to - guard the crossing of the Otuk river and to make a strong cavalry reconnoissance towards Greneda on the Coffeeville road, reporting direct to Major General U. S. Grant. At nine a. m. Sunday, the 14th, with a small escort from Company F, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, under
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Lieutenant and Colonel Hatch's detachment of 800 men from the Second Iowa Cavalry and the Seventh Illinois Cavalry I took the road for Okolona and reached Pontotoc, a forty-five miles march, at 9:30 o'clock on Monday morning.
On the way we fell in with small scouting parties of the enemy and captured several prisoners, by some of whom we were informed that a body of rebel infantry from Bragg's army were encamped five miles east of Pontotoc, on the road to Tupelo, and another near Tupelo, and by others just returned from Columbus that there was a strong rebel force at Okolona. A small part dashed off of the Tupelo road five or six miles but found no enemy at Pontotoc.
The gentle rain through which we had marched changed to a violent storm and the roads were heavy. All our ambulances and prisoners were sent back from Pontotoc with two wagons loaded with leather, government surveys and township maps of the state of Mississippi, under an escort of 100 men.
Major Coon of the Second Iowa Cavalry, with about 100 men, was sent rapidly forward to strike the railroad at Coonewar Station, north of Solona, with orders to destroy the telegraph lines and railroad, and especially the railroad bridge north of Okolona.
At 1 o'clock p. m. on Monday, with the rest of my command, I took the road for Tupelo, through a terrific rain storm, and moved steadily forward. Night came upon us about six miles from Tupelo.
The approach was on a "zig zag" road, with various intersecting roads through low, muddy ground, much of it heavily timbered and intersected by small, sluggish streams, passable only on small frail bridges in frail condition.
A little after dark the light of a considerable fire was observed, some miles distant to the south, and also a bright but broader light could be seen some miles to the north.
An officer sent to a dwelling not far from our road was
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told by the occupant that those fires were rebel camp fires. Pushing cautiously forward to within three miles of Tupelo we learned from the occupants of a house near by, who mistook us for rebel cavalry, that federal troops from Corinth had that day been at Saltillo, 8 miles north of Tupelo, and that the rebels had fled south, abandoning Tupelo. Fearing that MaCool might encounter too strong a foe, Lieutenant Colonel Prince of the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, with about 100 men, was sent promptly into Tupelo and the rest of the force was moved back 7 miles, to a point where the Aberdeen road broke off to the southeast and on which it was ascertained that Major Coon had advanced with a view of affording him support if needed.
It was found that Major Coon had dashed into Coonewar in the afternoon, stampeded a small party of rebel cavalry, took a few prisoners and made a strenuous but an unsuccessful effort to capture a railroad train passing that station south. The train was fired upon by his advance on the full gallop and one trooper, leaping from his horse with pistol in hand, mounted the side of the tender under way but was compelled as promptly to jump off to avoid a leaning post standing close to the track and just ahead of him.
The depot, containing, comissary's stores and corn, was burned and a small bridge and trestle work on the road near Coonewar were destroyed.
Lieutenant Colonel Prince returned about 3 o'clock Tuesday to our camp, having found no enemy in Tupelo and having destroyed some trestle work north of the town. The supposed rebel camp fires, seen the night before, proved to be the light of the depot burning at Coonewar and the fires of the Union troops from Corinth near Saltillo who left next morning before we reached their camp.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in hard labor by which all the trestle work and bridges from Saltillo to Okalona, a distance of thirty-four miles, and a large brigade south of Okalona across a branch of the Tom Big Be river were thoroughly destroyed as well as large
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quantities of timbers lying along the railroad track, used for repairing purposes.
The enemy were seen in Boloney and Okaloney but fled, returning, however, in some force to Okolona as our troopers were leaving that . place on Wednesday. Lieutenant Colonel Prince, with a party at Verona on Tuesday, captured eighteen large boxes of infantry equipment complete, some of them marked Colonel P. D.
Roddey. Several boxes of canteens, a quantity of confederate cloth, over one-hundred new wall tents complete, the commissary stores embracing several barrels of sugar, small arms and ammunition, eight wagons pressed for the purpose were loaded and brought away and the rest of the spoils were destroyed on the spot.
On our march returning a bridge gave way in the night and the loads were burned and the wagons abandoned.
Wednesday night, Dec. 17th, our whole party camped at Harrisburg, a deserted town about two miles northwest of Tupelo. Thursday morning before day we took up the line of march on our return and halted before noon to feed, about nine miles east of Pontotoc. At about noon, at a point about six miles east of Pontotoc, riding in advance with my escort, I learned that a large rebel force, said to be six or seven thousand strong, were in Pontotoc.
Thinking that this force was sent to cut off my small command I looked for them to advance on the road eastward towards Tupelo. Closing up my column it was quickly thrown off the road to the north and moved by neighboring roads to the northwest, with a view of passing some four miles north of Pontotoc.
Approaching the road from Pontotoc to Tuscumbia we fell in with rebel flankers or stragglers, about three miles from Pontotoc, capturing three and wounding one, while others escaped.
It was here ascertained that the rebel column was moving out from Pontotoc on the Ripley road directly to the railroad and passing across our front about one mile distant. The head of the rebel column was feeding on the
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road about one and a half miles distant, the smoke of their camp fires being plainly seen.
My horses were so worn out from hard and long marches that it was deemed imprudent to encounter an enemy so superior in numbers and mounted on fresh horses. My object was to avoid them, if possible, if not, to fight at their rear.
Throwing out a small guard at a strong position to guard our right flank the column was promptly moved toward Pontotoc on the Tuscumbia road, capturing several stragglers from the rebel force by the wayside. Passing down this road the rebel column was for the space of a mile in full view, moving north on the Ripley road and about three-fourths of a mile to the west of us.
Arriving at Pontotoc it was found that the rear of the enemy had left town but could still be seen in the distance moving north. Couriers were here detailed and a dispatch put into their hands to advise the General commanding that this force was moving north and an escort ordered to conduct the couriers eight miles on the Oxford road.
My command left Pontotoc at about sundown on the Rockyford road, bearing a little west of north and running near the Ripley road, making a demonstration of attack on the enemy's left flank.
Following this road about three miles, when day light was disappearing, we turned southwest and east on byways through the country across the road to Pontotoc and Oxford and following this a few miles we started again south and crossed the Yockena on a bridge, where we camped for the night.
I here found, to my surprise, that the escort and couriers, by a fatal misapprehension of my orders, had not left the column. Other couriers were at once sent forward for Oxford but lost their way in the Yockena bottom, and traveling all night, found themselves farther from Oxford than when they left camp, and did not arrive until morning.
Early yesterday morning, the 19th, we took up the line of march and Colonel Hatch was sent with the command
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to the cavalry camp on the Yockena river and with my escort, after a long days march, I reached Oxford at 5:30 p. m. last evening and reported to you the facts that on the 18th a large rebel cavalry force passed from Pontotoc north on the Ripley road.
The expedition to Okolona has been most laborous and the men and horses are completely worn down and wholly untit for service for a few days.
Men and horses subsisted upon the country through which we passed. A days march usually began before day and closed after night, halting to feed but once a day, usually from ten a. m. to one p. m.
The men lived chiefly on fresh meat, sweet potatoes and corn bread, roasted in corn husks and often without salt. Men and officers, however, were cheerful and prompt in every duty.
In six days we marched about two-hundred miles, worked two days on the railroad, captured about one-hundred-fifty prisoners, destroyed thirty-four miles of important railroad and a large amount of public stores of the enemy and returned, passing around an enemy of nine to our one, and reached camp without having a man killed, wounded or captured.
Colonel Hatch of the Second Iowa, commanding the Second Brigade, Lieutenant Crego acting Assistant Adjutant General of my division and Lieutenant Davis my Division Quartermaster, deserve special notice for their untiring and effective aid in accomplishing the results attained. Mr. Taffing, topographical, engineer, accompanied the expedition and collected matter for a very good map of the roads over which we passed.
I have the honor to be very respectfully your obedient servant, T. LYLE DICKEY,
Colonel and Chief of Cavalry Commanding Division.
The following in regard to exchange of prisoners may be of interest to some:
Fayette county, Tennessee, Dec. 8, 1862. Commander United States Army at LaGrange, Tennessee :- On the 18th of November Lieutenant Colonel Dawson of the Confederate
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states army captured and paroled Captain G. J. Shepardson of Company I, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, and E. B. Powers a private of Captain Shepard son's company. Also M. S. Payone a private of Company D, Tenth Illinois Regiment; also on the 28th of November the Confederate state forces under my command captured and paroled R. E. Ryan, Aponze Baker, Charles Butler, Adam Sterns, John Clon, Wilson Goodwin, Jesse Mintrow and J. A. Rutherford of the One-hundred and Twenty-seventh, One-hundred and Ninth, One-hundred and Thirtieth and the Seventh Illinois Regiments of the United States forces.
On the 26th of November the United States Army captured Captain J. W. Marshall, Captain P. W. Moore, Lieutenant Anderson and ten privates, all attached to Colonel Dawson's battalion of Cavalry, Confederate states army.
Ten days have now elapsed, when under the sixth cartel, all should have been paroled, but so far as I am advised only Captain Moore and Privates Reynolds and Warren have been paroled. I invaribly parole prisoners in a very few days after capture, and hoped that alike humane practice would prevail with the United States Army. I now propose the exchange of Captain Shepardson for Captain Marshall and private for private, according to lists and paroles herewith inclosed. Adjutant J. L. B. Barksdale of Lieutenant Colonel Dawson's Battalion and A. W. Montague are bearers of flag of truce and this dispatch, to make exchange, etc.
I have the honor to be respectfully,
R. V. RICHARDSON,
Colonel Commanding Partisan Rangers in West Tennessee
Richmond, May 11, 1863. The following notice relative to exchange of prisoners is published for the information of all concerned:
General Order No. 58, Adjutant and Inspecting Generals Office. (Exchange Notice No. 5.)
Richmond, May 9, 1863. The following confederate
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officers and men have been duly exchanged and are hereby so declared:
1 All officers and men who have been delivered at City Point at any time previous to May 6, 1863.
2 All officers captured at any place before the 1st of April, 1863, who have been released on parole. 3 All men captured in North Carolina or Virginia before the 1st of March, 1863, who have been released on parole.
4 The officers and men captured and paroled by General S. P. Carter in his expedition to West Tennessee in December last.
5 The officers and men captured and paroled by Lieutenant Colonel Stuart at VanBuren, Arkansas, Jan. 25, 1863; by Colonel T. L. Dickey in December, 1862, in his march to the Mobile and Ohio railroad and by Captain Cameron at Corinth, Mississippi, in December, 1862.
6 The officers and men paroled at Oxford, Mississippi, on the 23d of December, 1862, at DesArc, Arkansas, on the 17th of January, 1863, and at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the 23d of February, 1863.
Jan. 2, 1863-Our regiment with the Seventh Kansas, under Colonel Lee, started north on a raid after Colonel Richardson's Partisan Rangers. We went throught Moscow and on to Summerville. Anyone that was on the Summerville trip will never forget it.
We did not see anything of the Partisan Rangers that we were supposed to be looking for, but there was lots of booze found and drank in Somerville and the majority of the command was too drunk to be effective, especially was this true of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry, but many of our boys were under the influence of liquor who I never saw in such a condition before or afterwards.
It was very difficult to get the command together to leave town. Company I was ordered to rendezvous on the road in the edge of the timber. A few of us that were sober got there first and formed in line by the side of the road, others fell in as they came along, drunk or sober.
The most amusing thing that came under my notice
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was when Jerry Hough came along. He felt pretty good and as he passed in front of our line, towards the left to fall in, he undertook to give us a "hurrah" and in throwing himself back to yell, overdid it and went "caplunk" into the mud, which was thin and about shoe-top deep. Jerry did not finish his "hurrah, " but we finished it for him. He was a sorry looking sight when he picked himself out of the mud. I don't remember of having seen Hough under the influence of liquor but that one time.
Below is Colonel Lee's report of the expedition into Summerville, Tennessee:
Germantown, Tennessee, March 5, 1863, Colonel R. M. Sawyer, Assistant Adjutant General :- On the 3d day of January last I arrived at Moscow, Tennessee, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, with my command consisting of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry and ten companies of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry. I had few rations and subsisted on the country.
On the 5th of Janurry I was directed to move north of Wolf river and endeavor to clear that country of Richardson's Cavalry. At ten a. m. of that day I moved, meeting with much delay in crossing the Wolf river.
About seven miles from Moscow I received the following telegrams: "LaGrange, Jan. 2, 1863, Colonel Lee, Moscow, Tennessee. The following just received at Holly Springs: Let Lee collect horses, mules, saddles and bridles and mount as many infantry as possible to clean out the gorillas between the Hatchee and the Tallahatchie rivers .- U. S. Grant." "Take all available animals you can find as well as saddles and we will soon fit up a force. -- C. S. Hamilton."
I immediately detached companies from my column directing them to bring in all horses, mules, saddles and bridles fit for use.
At seven p. m. I bivouacked at a plantation six miles from the town of Somerville. It was rumored that the enemy were in small force at that place and I gave orders to move at three a. m. on the following morning, hoping to surprise and capture any force there. We had marched
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some miles after dark and I was satisfied that none in advance of us knew of our presence in the vicinity. No fires were allowed and the men were forced to lie down supperless. Soon a severe rain storm commenced and continued all night.
At three a. m. I moved my command on Somerville, Tennessee. We reached and surrounded that town before day. Finding no force of the enemy, I immediately appointed Lieutenant Colonel Herrick, of the Seventh Kansas, Provost Marshal of the town, placed six companies at his disposal and directed him to examine and search the town for Confederate officers and soldiers, also to take all horses mules and equipments they could find.
I was here informed that Richardson's force was camped about twelve miles north of this point. I immediately sent a force in that direction to learn the accuracy of the report. I also dispatched scouting parties on all roads leading from the town, directing them to bring in all animals fit for service which they could find.
In town many citizens were arrested, suspected of connection with the southern army. These I personally examined and released.
The people of the town treated the soldiers well and offered them, in singular profusion, wines and liquors of all kinds. The town was literally full of intoxicating liquors. At one store house I discovered fourteen barrels of whisky which belonged to the Confederate army. As a result of this unfortunate profusion of strong drinks many soldiers, who had neither supper or breakfast and had laid on the ground through a night of pelting storm, were induced to drink and as a consequence I discoved that many were intoxicated.
Here occured a melancholy incident. At the southern border of the town Company B of the Seventh Kansas, under Captain Fred Sawyer, had been stationed as a picket.
The Captain had discovered a quantity of Commissary stores in a building near by and had stationed a guard at
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the entrance. The Captain himself had visited a house near by to obtain breakfast and there drank to such an extent as to become somewhat exhilirated.
During his absence a couple of men of his company persisted in the endeavor to pass into the store house mentioned, but were prevented by the guard. On his return to his company the case was reported. The Captain ordered the company to fall in and the men alluded to to deliver their arms and go in arrest. His tone was harsh and peremptory in the extreme. One of the men demurred and attempted to explain. He commanded him to desist and remove his arms, drawing his pistol and telling him he would shoot if he said another word. The man again spoke and the Captain fired, the ball passing into the body of the man. Instantly one of the company fired at the Captain but did not wound him. The Captain rode toward him and the man ran, the former soon overtaking him, both riding rapidly, and shot him through the head, killing him instantly. At the same moment the man fired and his ball passed through the body of the Captain.
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