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Fourth Indiana cavalry, the enemy were kept occupied till the arrival of the balance of the brigade.
Having thoroughly reconnoitred the ground, detachments of the First Wisconsin, Second Indiana, and Seventh Kentucky cavalry dismounted and prepared to assault Fort Tyler, covering the bridge.
Colonel La Grange describes it as a remarkably strong bastioned earthwork, thirty-five yards square, surrounded by a ditch twelve feet wide and ten feet deep, situated on a commanding eminence, protected by an imperfect abattis, and mounting two thirty-two pounder and two field guns.
At half-past 1 P. M. the charge was sounded, and the brave detachments on the three sides of the work rushed forward to the assault, drove the rebel skirmishers into the fort, and followed, under a withering fire of musketry and grape, to the edge of the ditch.
This was found impassable, but, without falling back, Colonel La Grange posted sharpshooters to keep down the enemy, and organized parties to gather materials for bridges.
As soon as this had been done, he sounded the charge again.
The detachments sprang forward again, laid the bridges, and rushed forward, over the parapet into the work, capturing the entire garrison, in all two hundred and sixty-five men. General Tyler, the commanding officer, with eighteen men and officers, were killed, and twenty-eight severely wounded.
Three guns and five hundred stands of small arms fell into our hands.Our loss Was seven killed and twenty-nine wounded. Simultaneously with the advance upon the fort, the Fourth Indiana dashed through the town, secured both bridges over the Chattahoochee, scattered a superior force of cavalry, which had just arrived, and burned five engines and trains.
Colonel La Grange highly commends the accuracy and steadiness of Captain Beck in the use of his artillery.
I cannot speak too warmly of the intrepidity, good management, and soldierly ability displayed by Colonel La Grange in this affair, nor too strongly recommend the steadiness, dash, and courage of his officers and men. Captain Ross S. Hill, commanding the Second Indiana, dangerously wounded in the assault, and previously wounded at Scottsboro, and Lieutenant-Colonel Haranden, commanding the First Wisconsin, slightly wounded, were noticeably conspicuous, and I trust will receive the promotion for which they have been recommended.
Colonel La Grange destroyed at this place two bridges, nineteen locomotives, and two hundred and forty-five cars loaded with quartermaster, commissary, and ordnance stores.
Before leaving he established a hospital for the wounded of both sides, and left with the Mayor an ample supply of stores to provide for all their wants.
Early on the morning of the seventeenth he resumed his march toward Macon, passing through La Grange, Griffin, and Forsyth, and breaking the railroads at those places.
He would have reached his destination by noon of the twentieth but for delay caused by an order to wait for the Fourth Kentucky cavalry, which had gone through Columbus.
The afternoon of the seventeenth I directed Colonel Minty to resume the march with his division on the Thomaston road toward Macon, and to send a detachment forward that night to seize the double bridges over Flint river. Captain Van Antwerp of my staff, accompanied this party.
He speaks in the highest terms of the dash with which Captain Hudson, Fourth Michigan cavalry, discharged the duties assigned to him. By seven A. M. the next day he had reached the bridges fifty-five miles from Columbus, scattered the party defending them, and took forty prisoners.
Before leaving Columbus General Winslow destroyed the rebel ram Jackson, nearly ready for sea, mounting six seven-inch guns, burned fifteen locomotives, two hundred and fifty cars, the railroad bridge and foot bridges, one hundred and fifteen thousand bales of cotton, four cotton factories, the navy-yard, foundry, armory, sword and pistol factory, accoutrement shops, three paper mills, over a hundred thousand rounds of artillery ammunition, besides immense stores of which no account could be taken.
The rebels abandoned and burned the gunboat Chattahoochee twelve miles below Columbus.
On the morning of the eighteenth the whole command resumed the march on the route pursued by the Second division.
On the evening of the twentieth, when within twenty miles of Macon, the advanced guard, composed of the Seventeenth Indiana mounted infantry, Colonel White commanding, encountered about two hundred rebel cavalry on the road, but drove them rapidly back toward the city, and saved the Echconnee and Tobesopkee bridges. Colonel White deserves great credit for the boldness and skill with which he conducted his command.
When within thirteen niles of Macon he met a flag of truce in charge of Brigadier-General Robertson of the rebel army, bearing a written communication addressed to the commanding officer United States forces. Colonel White halted the flag and his advance, and sent the communication to Colonel Minty commanding the division.
After reading it, Colonel Minty forwarded it to me, gave instructions to Colonel White to renew his advance, after waiting five minutes for the flag of truce to get out of the way, and sent a note to General Robertson informing him of his action.
I received the communication at six P. M. nineteen miles from Macon, and upon examination found that it was a letter from General Howell Cobb, commanding the rebel forces at Macon.
The following is a true copy of the original:
headquarters Department of Tennessee and Georgia, Macon, April 20, 1865.General — I have just received from General P. T. Beauregard, my immediate commander,
To the commanding General of the United States forces:
