Today in History:

507 Series I Volume XXXIX-I Serial 77 - Allatoona Part I

Page 507 Chapter LI. FORREST'S RAID INTO ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE.

or routed. The cavalry, supported by infantry, can fight and defeat him, but he must be caught. He will not give battle unless he chooses to do so. The substance of this dispatch has been forwarded to General Thomas, and I hope I do nothing wrong in sending the same to you.

L. H. ROUSSEAU,

Major-General.

Major-General SHERMAN.


No. 2. Report of Bvt. Brigadier General Daniel C. McCallum, U. S. Army, Director-General and Manager Military Railroads.

WAR DEPARTMENT, OFFICER OF MILITARY DIRECTOR AND

SUPERINTENDENT OF RAILROADS, UNITED STATES,

Washington, October 13, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit the following statement in regard to the effect of the late raid by the rebel General Forrest upon the military railway lines in the DIVISION of the Mississippi:

One engine and twelve cars burned on a trestle near Decatur Junction, all destroyed; three cars burned between Huntsville and Stevenson. All the bridges and trestles between Pulaski and Athens, a distance of thirty miles, destroyed. This embraces Elk River bridge and the most formidable trestle on the Decatur and Stevenson line, 1,100 feet long, and about 90 feet high; and about two miles and a half of track partially destroyed. Between Spring Hill and Columbia, three bridges destroyed and two to three miles of track. The Chattanooga line is uninjured, excepting the tearing up of one or two rails by small guerrilla parties. High water on the Chattanooga and Atlanta line has carried away the bridges over the Chattahoochee and Oostenaula Rivers, and two or three between Chattanooga and Dalton. The rebels have torn up several miles of that track, and altogether it will take until the 20th of the present month of restore communication between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Many engines have been thrown from the track by the removal of the rails, but no very serious accidents have occurred.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. C. McCALLUM,

Brevet Brigadier-General and Director-General and

Manager Military Railroads, United States.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.


No. 3. Report of Lieutenant Albert Kramer, Sixty-eighth New York Infantry, Assistant Inspector of Block-Houses.

OFFICE OF ASSISTANT INSPECTOR OF BLOCK-HOUSE,

Columbia, Tenn., October 3, 1864.

I have the honor herewith to submit my report of damages to fortifications in my section during the recent raid of General Forrest.

On Saturday, 1 p. m., came General Forrest and staff with flag of truce of Block-house No. 5, which was in command of Second Lieutenant E.


Page 507 Chapter LI. FORREST'S RAID INTO ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE.