Forrest's great fight — the victory greater than reported.
A correspondent of the Mobile
Advertiser, writing from
Tupelo,
Miss, under date of June 15, gives the annexed account of
Forrest's great fight in
Mississippi.
‘
On the 1st of June
Gen Forrest moved eastward.
He had been apprised for some time that a force of from 6,000 to 10,000 was being fitted out in
Memphis for an expedition to
Sherman's army, in charge of 400 wagon loads of supplies, and for the purpose also of furnishing this much transportation, with a large ambulance train, and twenty-four pieces of artillery, with the troops that accompanied them to
Sherman.
His force, consisting only of two brigades, (for Chaimers went some where sometime ago) immediately returned to pounce upon the enemy.
Rucker's brigade returned from
Oxford, and
Johnson's command came down from
North Alabama.
’
Thus this force, though not half as large as that of the enemy, was at once, and unexpectedly to the enemy, concentrated on the
Mobile and
Ohio road and just in time to head him at Brice's cross roads, six miles from
Baldwyn.
Skirmishing began about 8 o'clock in the morning by
Col. Rucker;
Col. Johnson soon came up and assisted to hold the enemy in check;
Col. Lyon, with his
Kentucky brigade, came in before 12 o'clock, and
Col. Bell's gallant brigade — with the exception of the 2d Tennessee, commanded by
Col. Bartean, who was sent to the enemy's rear — reached the field at 1 o'clock. The enemy seemed frustrated by this sudden resistance on his front, yet pushed vigorously for forward and endeavored to overrun our forces.--The fighting for the next three hours was severe, and charge after charge was made, column after column was hurled with headlong imperiously by the enemy against us, and by us against the enemy.
At 4 o'clock the 2d Tennessee had reached the rear of the enemy, and made a furious attack.
The enemy at first sent back a regiment of infantry, then 300 cavalry, and becoming still more alarmed at the obstinacy of the attack in front and the appearance of a force in his rear, sent back all his cavalry and commenced a retreat.
His forces in front were driven in dismay, and the whole body of his troops demoralized.
Wagons, artillery, cavalry, infantry, negroes and wounded, went back in one confused mass, blocking up the roads and running through woods and fields.
Over two hundred wagons and fourteen pieces of artillery were abandoned in less than one hour after the retreat began.
Our forces pursued until dark and then camped for the night.
The greatest injury inflicted upon us during this engagement was by an ambuscade.
Wilson's and
Russell's regiments, of
Bell's brigade, suffered severely.
It is unfortunate that more caution was not exercised to prevent such unnecessary damage.
The number of killed and wounded in this fight on our side was over three hundred.
The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was near a thousand.
The enemy's force was four brigades, two of cavalry, commanded by
Grierson, and two of infantry; all under Brig
Gen.
Sturgis; and the commands being full numbered not less than nine thousand. Two negro regiments served as a train guard.
But few negroes have been captured.
They made good their escape.
The pursuit was renewed early in the morning,
Gen Forrest following before daylight with his escort and 7th Tennessee, fighting the enemy until the other commands came up. At
Ripley, a desperate fight ensued, in which
Bell's brigade and
Lyon's greatly distinguished themselves, charging into the town and driving the
Yankees from every stronghold they had taken, killing, wounding, and capturing five hundred or more.
The enemy took the
Salem road, and were pressed every inch of the way. A terrible ambuscade was given them by
Col. Barteau, near
Salem.
Having gained a position on their flank, in advance of the column, he dismounted and marched his command within sixty yards of the road.
As the column came on, the road was crowded with infantry and cavalry.
One sheet of fire from his line, and hundreds lay
hors du combat.
Charging immediately upon the road still further execution was effected until compelled to give way. The 95th Ohio regiment, which was in the rear of the columns, and hard pressed by Col
Lyon, surrendered.
The various troops of
Gen Buford's command in this, the second day of the pursuit, captured a thousand prisoners. Having followed the enemy nearly to
LaGrange, and put his column to flight in fragments, the troops commenced their return on the morning of the 12th, and scouted the woods to the left of the Statem road back to
Ripley.
The result has been that seven or eight hundred more straggling Yankees were caught.
Grierson and
Sturgis deserted their commands beyond
Ripley and fled to
LaGrange.
The outrages committed by the enemy in the expedition exceeded all former example.
Houses were robbed of every necessary to the support of families.
Ladies insulted and outraged; children robbed of their clothing, and left naked, crying and hungry; old men choked and gagged, and in some instances beaten nearly to death; women kicked out of doors for murmuring at these wrongs, and knocked down by buck negroes in the presence of their husbands.
These are some of the injuries that the poor people of
North Mississippi have had to endure within the last ten days; and it is things like these that make them grateful once more for their deliverance, and have nerved the arms of
Forrest's soldiers to fight like demons and to perform deeds of daring unequalled in history.
The Southern man who would not fight now, is unfit for freedom, and ought not to enjoy it.
The Mississippi
Prairie News gives the following fact, derived from
Forrest's chief quartermaster:
‘
Yankees killed, 1,000, wounded, 1,500, captured, 2,000.
Also, 200 wagons, 50 ambulances, 17 pieces of artillery with caissons, 500 mules, 100 horses, 500,000 rounds small arms ammunition, 10,000 rounds cannon ammunition, 5,000 stand small arms, 200,000 pounds pilot bread, 50 barrels sugar, 30 sacks of coffee, $200,000 worth of medicines, 10 barrels of whiskey, and shovels, spades, axes, carpenters' tools, &c, in large number.
’
