The Defeat of Sturges.
--The Chicago Pot publishes the following private letter from an officer who accompanied
Sturgis into
Mississippi:
Memphis, June 12, 1864.--I returned to
Memphis last night, and I assure you that I was glad to get back again.
We have had a terrible time — have been cut all to pieces Out of five regiments of infantry and one battery, but about three hundred and eighty have been saved, all the rest being killed, wounded, or taken prisoners Col
Humphreys, of the 95th Illinois, and Col
McKeag, of the 120th Illinois, were killed.
I saw Col
Humphreys, when he was shot, and afterwards saw his body at
Ripley.
Col
McKeag was shot during our retreat.
It is impossible to tell who are killed and wounded now, and will be for some time to come.
The 113th regiment left here with about three hundred men, the balance being on duty at this place as a guard to living block — only eighty-eight have returned.
The only officer that I know of in that regiment who was killed was
Lieut Conway--he was shot through the head and heart.
A number of men of that regiment were killed.
It has been a real disaster.
We have lost not less than 3,000 men, including 1,200 to 1,500 killed and wounded, upwards of 100 wagons 16 pieces of artillery and a large quantity of supplies and ammunition, and 5,000 stand of small arms
The fight took place about two miles west of Saidwin, a town on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, forty miles south of
Corinth.
The prisoners that we look all said that the enemy had about 27,000 or 30,000, while our force did not exceed 7,000.--We were completely overwhelmed.
A great number of
Polk's forces were there.
It rained every day but one while we were cut and I kept soaked pretty well all the street still I am better than I have been for months, although quite this.
I lost everything I had — I was in the saddle over thirty-six hours, only getting off three or four times, and then not to exceed thirty minutes at any one time I was completely cut off at one time, and did not have a staff officer or even an order with me. By almost superhuman efforts, in tearing down a rail fence, I managed to get through, but it was an swill gauntest to ran I assure you.
