Today in History:

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

Page 569 Chapter LI. RAIDS INTO SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

quantity of ammunition, some arms, and subsistence sey were concealed in the houses he burned the whole establishment. On the 23rd he met Captain Sutton, rebel commissary, with twelve men, driving 300 head of cattle branded C. S. He killed 8 of the escort and captured the captain and the remaining 4 men, with the cattle Owing to the dense canebrake he succeeded in bringing home only 200 of the cattle. The expedition arrived here from Egg Point on the night of the 26th, bringing 27 horses, 32 mules, and 200 head of cattle; also 1 captain and 8 men as prisoners. The loss of the enemy was 15 killed; no loss on our side. On the night of the 29th of September the cavalry forces were again embarked, and left here to operate in the vicinity of Port Gibson, Miss. The command numbered about 1,100 men, under Colonel Osband, and was composed of detachments from the following regiments, viz: Second Wisconsin Cavalry, Fifth Illinois Cavalry, Eleventh Illinois; Cavalry, THIRD U. S. Colored Cavalry, detachment with four guns from Twenty-sixth Ohio Battery Light Artillery, and detachment of the signal corps. At the same time an infantry force was embarked under command of Colonel Charles A. Gilchrist, Fiftieth U. S. Colored Infantry, 525 strong, and composed of detachments from various regiments, as follows: 300 men from Fiftieth U. S. Colored Infantry, 200 men from Forty-eighth U. S. Colored Infantry, 25 men from Fifth U. S. Colored Infantry, with two pieces of artillery, Colonel Osband debarked at Bruinsburg on the morning of the 30th, and at once move on to Port Gibson, while Colonel Gilchrist passed on, debarked, and awaited Colonel Osband at Rodney. In the afternoon our forces found at Port Gibson thirty of Cobb's Black River Scouts and drove them, killing 2 men and 3 horses, and losing 1 man killed. Colonel Osband, under my orders, arrested at this place 13 of the most prominent and wealthy citizens to be held as hostages. The next morning, October 1, he marched to Rodney, reaching that place at 4 p. m., and then transferred to Colonel Gilchrist, commanding the infantry forces, about 125 head of cattle, 60 mules, and the prisoners before mentioned. Colonel Gilchrist embarked his command, the property he had received from Colonel Osband and that which his own command had collected, and was on his way up river at sunset, reaching Vicksburg in the forenoon of the 2nd instant. At 4 a. m. on the 2nd instant Colonel Osband moved toward Fayette, reaching that place at noon. There were here captured and destroyed between 75 and 100 stand of arms. During the day, as the advance (the THIRD U. S. Colored Cavalry, Major Cook) neared Cole's Creek, they discovered and chased seven members of Captain Ruth's command, killing 1, mortally wounding 1, and capturing the remaining 5. On the 3rd the command moved again at dayLight, reaching Natchez at 10 p. m. By the way the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, Major Dale commanding, was sent out on one flank, and the THIRD U. S. Colored Cavalry on the other. Major Dale's force, numbering about 180 men, encountered about 200 of the enemy forces, under Captain Boyd, about fifteen miles from Natchez. In the engagement which ensued 7 of the enemy were killed, as our forces discovered in passing over the field. The loss on our side was 2 men slightly wounded. Colonel Osband turned over to the proper officers at Natchez, as the resul cattle, 125 head of sheep, 19 mules, and 3 horses. By so much continuous service the cavalry was much worn, and it was necessary to shoe about 350 of the horses, for which purpose all the private as well as Government blacksmith shops at Natchez were at once employed. The sick, worn-out and disabled men and horses were immediately sent to Vicksburg.


Page 569 Chapter LI. RAIDS INTO SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.