Today in History:

530 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 530 KY., S. W. VA., TENN., N. & C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.

full and distinct voice, "Prepare to fight on foot," and the command dismounted and formed their line accordingly, during the whole of which time I continued to call to them, asking them who they were, &c., but received no reply. As soon as they had formed their lines they commenced sending their horses back, and firing at once commenced on both sides. I immediately saw the balance of my regiment coming up from toward the camp, when I moved my command to the left to avoid being between the two fires. Firing did not last but a few minutes, after which I went to the camp with my command. That during all the time this engagement lasted it was so dark in the woods that it was impossible to distinguish the uniforms of the men.

A. B. PURINTON,

Second Lieutenant, Fourth Michigan Cavalry.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of July, 1865.

J. G. DICKINSON,

Adjutant Fourth Michigan Cavalry.

[Inclosure Numbers 3.] HEADQUARTERS FOURTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY, Nashville, Tenn., July 2, 1865.

Brevet Brigadier-General MINTY,

Commanding Second Div., Cav. Corps, Mil. Div. of the Mississippi:

GENERAL: In compliance with your request that I should make a statement of the circumstances and incident attending the late capture of Jeff. Davis and party, I have the honor to submit the following:

At 8 o'clock on the evening of the 7th of May I left Macon, Ga., with my regiment (Fourth Michigan Cavalry), with verbal orders from yourself, as you will recollect, to proceed down the south bank of the Ocmulgee River from 75 to 100 miles, to take possession of all the ferries below Hawkinsville, and scout the country on both sides of the river as far as the strength of my command would permit for the purpose of capturing Jeff. Davis, who was reported to be making his way across the country from Washington, Ga., with a small force and train, or to capture any other Government parties who might be fleeing from Richmond in that direction. It was through at the time that a point known as Adams' on the map (but which has no existence only on paper) would be a good place for the headquarters of one battalion, and Spalding, a place still farther down the river, a good locality for the headquarters of the regiment,m but points were to be disregarded if in my discretion upon arriving upon the ground the operations of the command could be rendered more effective by such a course, and was accordingly authorized inc awe of pursuit, if necessary, to leave the designated territory entirely. After a march of seventy-five miles, during which nothing of special interest occurred, the command reached Abbeville about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of May 9, and where I discovered the first trace of any of the parties for whom we were seeking. At this place I met Lieutenant-Colonel Harnden, First Wisconsin Cavalry, who informed me, as also did the inhabitants, that a train of several wagons and two ambulances had crossed the Ocmulgee River at Brown's Ferry, one mile and a half above Abbeville, at 12 o'clock on the previous night, and had halted at Abbeville long enough to feed their animals, and gone on in the direction of Irwinville before daylight. Colonel Harnden also said that he had been following on the track of this train for some distance on the north side of the river, and was convinced that it belonged to some of the Richmond parties and


Page 530 KY., S. W. VA., TENN., N. & C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.