--Yesterday morning 33 commissioned Yankee officers and 702 privates, captured at
Rogersville, Tenn., by
Gen. Jones, arrived in
Richmond and were handed over to the prison authorities.
About sixty of them are to be tried by court-martial for deserting our army.
They are East Tennessean and belonged to the command of
Williams and others, and deserted to join
Carter's (Yankee) regiment.
The Lynchburg
Republican thus describes their capture:
It seems that
Gen. Wm. E. Jones, who commanded the expedition, learning that a force of the enemy was at
Rogersville, determined to effect their capture, and with this purpose, advanced upon the place with his own and a brigade commanded by
Col. Giltner.
Upon getting within a few miles of the town, he sent on a small portion of his command to make the attack, and concealed his main body in the woods.
The attacking party, which the
Federals greatly outnumbered, were ordered to bring on a fight and then to retreat, as though they had only, after the commencement of the engagement, found that they were outnumbered.--The ruse succeeded admirably, our small force retiring and being pursued by the enemy until they got past the place of concealment of our main body, who suddenly, and as if by magic, closed in upon their rear, while those who were retreating stopped their apparently hurried flight and offered battle.
The contest was soon over, for, surrounded on all sides, and attacked simultaneously in front and rear and on both flanks, no recourse was left the enemy but to surrender unconditionally, which they did.
Fight of their dead were found on the field, and about thirty wounded, the number surrendering being 884, of whom about 100 are said to have escaped while on the march to
Bristol.
A fine battery of four pieces of artillery, 600 horses, 900 mules, and 58 wagons, with a quantity of ammunition and Quartermasters' and commissary stores, were the fruits of this admirably planned and brilliantly executed affair, all effected with the loss of two men killed and ten wounded. None missing.
