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bridge to cross.
The enemy burned the bridge at one o'clock in the morning, and were evacuating the place when he arrived.
D. C. Buell, Brigadier-General Commanding.
Gen. Buell's General order.
The following is a general order, issued by Gen. Buell to the troops of General Mitchell's division, after their advance upon Bowling Green:General order no. 70.
headquarters Third division, Camp John Q. Adams, Bowling Green, February 19, 1862.soldiers of the Third division: You have executed a march of forty miles in twenty-eight hours and a half. The fallen timber and other obstructions, opposed by the enemy to your movements, have been swept from your path. The fire of your artillery, and the bursting of your shells, announced your arrival. Surprised and ignorant of the force that had thus precipitated itself upon them, they fled in consternation. In the night time, over a frozen, rocky, precipitous pathway, down rude steps for fifty feet, you have passed the advance-guard, cavalry and infantry, and before the dawn of day you have entered in triumph a position of extraordinary natural strength, and by your enemy proudly denominated the Gibraltar of Kentucky. With your own hands, through deep mud, in drenching rains, and up rocky pathways, next to impassable, and across a foot-path of your own construction, built upon the ruins of the railway bridge, destroyed for their protection, by a retreating and panic-stricken foe, you have transported upon your own shoulders your baggage and camp equipage. The General commanding the department, on receiving my report announcing these facts, requests me to make to the officers and soldiers under my command, the following communication:Soldiers! I feel a perfect confidence that the high estimate placed upon your power, endurance, energy and heroism, is just. Your aim and mine has been to deserve the approbation of our commanding officer, and of our Government and our country. I trust you feel precisely as does your Commanding General, that nothing is done, while anything remains to be done. By order ofSoldiers, who by resolution and energy overcome great natural difficulties, have nothing to fear in battle, where their energy and prowess are taxed to a far less extent. Your command have exhibited the high qualities of resolution and energy, in a degree which leaves no limit to my confidence in their future movements. By order ofBrig.-Gen. Buell, Commanding Department of the Ohio.Brig.-Gen. O. M. Mitchell, Commanding.
Cincinnati Gazette narrative.
Our victory is completed!
We are now in possession of Bowling Green.
Last night, at about nine o'clock, Col. Turchin's brigade, consisting of the Eighteenth Ohio, Col. Stanley, the Thirty-seventh Indiana, Major Hall Commanding, the Twenty fourth Illinois, Col. Mihialotzs, the Nineteenth Illinois, Col. Turchin, together with sections of Loomis's, Edgarton's and Simonson's batteries, and three companies of Col. Kennett's cavalry, were formed in order, and marched rapidly to a ferry, a mile and a half below the town.
A single boat was there, a kind of flat-boat, upon which about fifty infantry or a score of cavalry could pass at once.
The river is about a hundred yards wide at this place, and the descent to the water on one side, and the ascent from it on the other, are both difficult, even when circumstances are favorable, but were particularly so last night, on account of the frozen and snowy ground.
But the passage was commenced with the utmost expedition and secrecy, and prosecuted in the same manner until almost the entire force, except the artillery, had crossed.
Before daylight they were ready to march upon the town, not knowing but what they might, at any moment, meet with the enemy in formidable numbers, and not much caring if they did.
The pontoon bridge upon which it was intended that the remainder of the division should cross, could not be finished in time, and orders were issued for all the other regiments to cross at the same place with Col. Turchin's brigade.
Owing to the failure of this order to reach the headquarters of Gen. Dumont, under whose command the rest of the. division had been placed, the troops did not commence marching to the ferry until six o'clock this morning.
In the mean time, however, it had been ascertained that the enemy had entirely abandoned the town, and when Gen. Dumont's troops reached the ferry, it was thought unnecessary to have them cross over until the pontoon bridge should be completed.
When our forces reached the town, it presented a scene of desolation seldom witnessed.
Almost all the inhabitants had gone away — the secessionists from the fear of the Union army, the Union people because they were frightened by Captain Loomis's shells.
Those who remained, whether rebel or loyal, did the best, for neither class were molested, nor were their houses in any way intruded upon; but it was impossible to protect the hundreds of deserted tenements, and as many of them had been left in hot haste, and all the furniture and household goods remained in them, they were, doubtless, frequently visited and partially plundered.
One house contained a large lot of sutler's stores, and of these the boys made free use, appropriating every article that they could lay their hands on. Tobacco, segars, candy, etc., will, for a few days, be found in abundance in some of the boys' quarters.
There is not as much of the town burnt as we supposed last night.
The depot was fired, with the intention of destroying the locomotives and
