[667]
crossing of the Warrior, which, as well as its tributaries, was greatly swollen.
April twelfth.
Moved by the Jasper road to Wolf creek, finding it impassable.
April thirteenth.
Marched around the head of Wolf creek.
April fourteenth. Crossed Lost creek at Holly Grove, and marched to Cormack's mills on the Black Water, finding the stream swollen and half the bridge down.
This we rebuilt in two hours, and that night camped within four miles of Sipsey fork of the Black Warrior.
April fifteenth. Began crossing Sipsey fork at Calloways' and Lindsey's ferries, having no means of crossing men and equipments but in canoes, and the horses by swimming.
April seventeenth.
All were over and marching via Arkadelphia; we struck the Mulberry fork at Handly's mills, finding a good ferry-boat and a good place for swimming horses.
April eighteenth. Crossed Mulberry fork, and reached Little Warrior at Menter's ferry, finding no boats but a few canoes with which we began crossing, and were over by sundown next day (nineteenth), all the command except the Eighth Iowa encamping at Mt. Pinson, fourteen miles north of Elyton.
Here I learned that the corps had taken Montgomery, and gone east.
Destroyed the foundry and nitre works near Mt. Pinson.
April twentieth.
Moved via Trussville and Cedar Grove, thence three miles on the Montevalle road to make the impression that we were going that way.
April twenty-first.
Moved towards Talladega, sending the Fourth Kentucky mounted infantry ahead before daybreak to seize the boats at Truss' and Collins' ferries, on Coosa river, which they did, driving the guard off, and by night that regiment had crossed.
April twenty-second.
By noon the command had crossed, and at sundown reached Talladega, driving out a force of about seventy rebels, and encamping at that place.
April twenty-third.
Learning that Hill's brigade was between Talladega and Blue Mountain, I moved in that direction, finding him in position at Mumford's station, ten miles from Talledega, with five hundred men and one piece of artillery; attacked and routed him, capturing his artillery and a number of prisoners, and scattering the force in the woods.
Destroyed the Oxford and Blue Mountain iron works, the railroad bridges and depots to Blue Mountain, at which place we encamped, destroying the depots, rolling stock, and a quantity of ordnance stores.
April twenty-fourth.
Sent the Eighth Iowa via Jacksonville and moved via Oxford and Davistown, where the Eighth Iowa rejoined us, burning a large cotton factory, and encamping at Bell's bridge on the Tallapoosa.
April twenty-fifth.
Marched through Artacoochee and Bowden, and encamped near Carrolton, Georgia.
April twenty-sixth.
Marched through Carrolton to the Chattahoochee at Moore's and Reese's ferries, and by eight o'clock of the next morning had crossed the river.
April twenty-seventh.
Marched via Newman to near Flat Shoals.
At the Chattahoochee a flag of truce from the commanding officer at Newman, informed me of the armistice, and claimed protection under it; I informed them I could not recognize the information as official, but presuming it was true, would trouble nobody who kept out of my way and would observe the armistice as far as foraging was concerned, but could not consent to discontinue my march.
April twenty-eighth. Crossed Flint river at Flat Shoals and marched to near Barnesville.
April twenty-ninth.
Through Barnesville to Forsyth, sending Lieutenant Prather and Captain Walden of my staff, by railroad to inform the Brevet Major-General Commanding of my whereabouts, this being the first information he had received since my despatch from Trion, March thirty-first, which reached him at nine A. M. on the following day, and about the same time one from Jackson to Forrest, captured by General Upton, informing Forrest where I was, and that he (Jackson) was preparing to attack me at daylight on the first of April.
April thirtieth.
Marched through Forsyth and camped near Crawford's station.
May first.
Rejoined the corps at Macon, having been absent just one month, during which time I communicated with no Federal force, neither heard from any one, nor, so as heard, was heard from.
During this time we marched six hundred and fifty-three miles, most of the time through a mountainous country, so destitute of supplies that the command could be subsisted and foraged only by the greatest efforts.
Swimming four rivers, destroying five large iron works, the last in the cotton States, three factories, numerous mills, immense quantities of supplies, capturing four pieces of artillery and several hundred small arms, near three hundred prisoners rejoining the corps; the men in fine spirits and the animals in good condition, having lost in all but four officers and one hundred and sixty-eight men, half of the latter having been captured at various points, while straggling from foraging parties and not in line of duty.
Throughout the long and arduous campaign, though often surrounded by perils, the spirits of the veterans never faltered.
Officers and men vied with each other in the cheerful performance of their duty.
I am especially under obligations to the regimental commanders, Colonels Dorr, Kelly, and Johnston, and Major Fidler and Captain Penn, for their hearty and earnest co-operation.
To Lieutenant Prather, Fourth Indiana cavalry, and aide to the General commanding the corps, I am obliged for his valuable services so cheerfully rendered.
Captain Sutherland, A. A. General, was of great service to me until sent on a reconnoissance
This text is part of:
Van Nostrand. New York, New York. 1868.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.