numerous other duties required of them prevents me to scour the country more frequently, which should be done almost every day to exterminate the bushwhackers now infesting this neighborhood, and who always commit their depredations when they know my men are otherwise employed. I have the honor, general, to remain, most respectfully, your obedient servant, A. MATZDORFF, Lieut. Col. Seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Veteran Vols., Comdg. Post. Brig. Gen. R. W. JOHNSON, Comdg. Defenses on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad. [Indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Respectfully forwarded for information of the major-general commanding the District of Tennessee. I shall increase the mounted force at Franklin by 100 men. R. W. JOHNSON, HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Franklin, Tenn., February 20, 1865. GENERAL: I have the honor to report that immediately on receipt of the information that the train had been attacked by guerrillas on the 16th instant, I ordered a party of fifty mounted men, under command of Captains Kolomb and Hoffmann, to the pursuit of the gang. After scouring the country pretty thoroughly to beyond Duck River, the expedition returned on the afternoon of the 19th instant, having succeeded in killing two most notorious desperadoes, named Nathan Eazell and Lyons, and recapturing two horses and one mule that were stolen from this post. The accompanying letter* was found on the person of Lyons, while Eazell, one of Forrest's original cutthroats, had in his pocket the also inclosed pass and oath of amnesty.* Eazell was also recognized as one of the gang who preyed in the vicinity of Hollow Tree Gap some ten days ago, and who robbed Mr. Brown, telegraph repairer. Every honest and peaceable resident of this neighborhood will feel a great relief that the daring career of these outlaws has thus been terminated. Major Smith, of the Eighth Michigan Cavalry, who left here with his command this morning, will report to you in due time, and on the way to Pulaski have a lookout for the bushwhackers that infest the country about Duck River. In conclusion, I would most respectfully request you to have Captain Hoffmann and command remain here for some time yet, as only the utmost vigilance and constant scouring of the country will rid the same of the bushwhackers that now infest it; but with the assistance of Captain Hoffmann and his men I flatter myself to make this place a little too hot for bushwhackers. I have the honor, general, to remain, most respectfully, your obedient servant, A. MATZDORFF, Lieut. Col. 75th Pennsylvania Veteran Vol. Infty., Comdg. Post. Brig. Gen. R. W. JOHNSON, Comdg. Defenses on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad. * Omitted as unimportant. JANUARY 23-27, 1865.—Scout from Cumberland Gap, Tenn. Reports of Lieut. Col. William C. Bartlett, Second North Carolina Mounted Infantry. CUMBERLAND GAP, January 28, 1865. GENERAL: On Monday last I sent out a scout under Lieut. J. N. Jennings, of Second North Carolina Mounted Infantry, which returned yesterday, having killed 12 rebel guerrillas, wounded a number, and captured 10, besides having captured from the rebels 40 horses, some of them saddled. Brigadier-General TILLSON, W. C. BARTLETT, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding. Commanding Fourth Division, Twenty-third Army Corps. CUMBERLAND GAP, January 28, 1865. The men sent on scout were those of Lieutenant Jennings' command, North Carolina Mounted Infantry, and of Captains Odle's and Riley's home guards. I would like to dispose of captured stock, so as to keep all these squads well mounted, as they all are constantly hard at work, acting under my orders. Cannot also rations be issued to them? The proportion of killed was larger than reported, being between 20 and 25 instead of 12. My orders are to shoot a guerrilla whenever and whereever [he] is found, and not to take prisoners on any account. W. C. BARTLETT, Lieutenant-Colonel. Brigadier-General TILLSON. JANUARY 25, 1865.-Skirmish near Simpsonville, Shelby County, Ky. Report of Brig. Gen. Hugh Ewing, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division, District of Kentucky. JANUARY 26, 1865. COLONEL: The general commanding desires me to say that information has reached these headquarters that a cattle guard composed of negro soldiers were attacked at or near Simpsonville, Shelby County, yesterday and a number killed and wounded-of the latter seventeen are reported. It is absolutely necessary that they be attended to. You will therefore call the attention of the medical department to the fact. Secure if possible a mounted force of twenty-five to fifty men and send them to Simpsonville to escort the ambulances sent to bring in the wounded, with further instructions to collect the cattle and drive them to this city. They will further ascertain if any officers were in command of the guard; if so, arrest and bring them to these headquarters. Give this matter your immediate attention and report the departure of the force sent out. By command of Brig. Gen. Hugh Ewing: E. B. HARLAN, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. Lieutenant-Colonel COYL, JANUARY 25, 1865.-Expedition from Irish Bottom to Evans' Island, Tenn. Report of Col. John A. Shannon, First U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery. HEADQUARTERS FORAGING EXPEDITION, Irish Bottom, Tenn., January 28, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to report that in accordance with instructions received from Major Smith, acting inspector-general, Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, I proceeded to Beaver Dam Bottom on the 25th instant, and did not find the cattle there. I then moved on down the river and did not find them until I got to Evans' Island, where the cattle were on the island, and the water and ice running in the river so bad that the men in charge could not get them off. I found Lieut. Wiley M. Christian in command of the First Tennessee; he had three commissioned officers and eighty-six men. Upon ascertain. ing the fact that the cattle could not be moved immediately I sent to the Beaver Dam for Captain Murphy and his fifty men to come and take charge of the guard and cattle. Captain Murphy had two commissioned officers with him. I then left orders for Captain Murphy to bring the cattle up to the Beaver Dam as soon as practicable, and as he then had six commissioned officers and 136 men, I thought that that was a sufficient guard for 192 cattle (the number I found there), and I took the responsibility upon myself to order the cavalry to come on and report to Colonel Hawley, as ordered. Lieutenant Christian accounts for the absence of his men in this way, i.e., that when he started from Knoxville he had to leave the sick there, bringing only sixty-eight men with him, but that they are getting bet ter and are rejoining their command; he now has eighty-six men, and he knows of six that had started from Knoxville and would be there by this time. I apprehend that if the present cold weather continues and the ice continues to run in the river as it now does, that the cattle cannot get off the island, and having consumed the forage there it will be exceedingly difficult for them to live. I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel, Commanding Foraging Expedition. Capt. W. W. DEANE, JANUARY 27, 1865.-Skirmish at Elrod's Tan-yard, De Kalb County, Ala. Report of Col. Felix Prince Salm, Sixty-eighth New York Infantry. HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Bridgeport, Ala., January 31, 1865. MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of an expedition fitted out at this post by permission of the major-general commanding: The command left Bridgeport, Ala., on the 26th instant, at 3 p. m., on board the U. S. transport Bridgeport, and landed at Roman's Landing at 7.30 p. m. the same day. The march was resumed immediately after coming ashore and continued until 3 a. m. 27th instant, when I camped near the school-house, Mound Mary, Marshall County, Ala. On this march a well-known guerrilla and bushwhacker named Williams, and belonging to Butler's company, was captured, and all the houses on the road were thoroughly searched, but without any result worth mentioning. At daybreak 27th instant the march was resumed. I passed through Sand Mountain narrows and reached at 1 p. m. Timms' farm, De Kalb County, Ala.; from thence we crossed Black Oak Creek and waded through Town Creek, De Kalb County, until at 7 p.m. we came in sight of the enemy. A part of Sparks' company was encamped near Elrod's farm and tan-yard, near Town Creek, De Kalb County, Ala. I approached with the utmost circumspection and silence and had a fair view of them moving around their fires, quite unconscious of our approach. I divided my command in order to surround and capture them all; but the darkness and the great quantity of timber strewn on the ground impeded the movement, so that one part of my command came to fire and charge before the junction of all the detachments was completed, giving the greater part of the outlaws a chance to effect their escape. In this charge First Lieut. Leander Martin, Eighteenth Regiment U. S. Colored, was instantly killed. The loss of the enemy was 1 killed, 8 wounded, and 3 captured. They were completely routed, and left a number of arms and equipments on the field. They were commanded by a Lieutenant Smith, and their strength is supposed to have been from thirty-six to forty in all. I camped that night on the place of the action, and resumed the march back to the river early on the 28th. The enemy followed me in the rear and on the flanks without any demonstration until 5 p. m., when a party of about 100, under a Captain Butler, attacked me in the rear, but were fairly repulsed with a loss of 5 men disabled. My men poured two well-directed volleys into them and they skedaddled as quick as they came. In this second engagement I had no loss to sustain. The forces I was engaged with are said to belong to a new regimental organization of guerrillas, called home guards, raised in De Kalb, Marshall, and Blount Counties, Ala., by a so-called Colonel Lowe, and are composed of the following full companies: Sparks' company, encamped near Duck Springs, De Kalb County, Ala.; Witherspoon's company, encamped three miles below Lebanon; Butler's company, encamped near Wakefield, Marshall County, Ala.; Newman's company, encamped near Portersville, De Kalb County, Ala.; Hamack's company, encamped near Valley Head, De Kalb County, Ala. They are assigned to General Clanton's brigade, and composed chiefly of deserters and absentees from the rebel army, mostly inhabitants of the aforesaid counties, who are enlisted in these organizations under promise of pardon of their offenses. The so-called Colonel Lowe, as well as the so-called captains, are said to have no authority from the rebel War Department. I inclose copy of the muster-roll of Sparks' company, found in possession of First Sergeant Williams, one of the prisoners, and a croquis of the place of the first engagement. The command was composed of detachments of the Sixty-eighth Regiment New York Veteran Volunteers, Eighteenth Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry, and Ninth and First Ohio Volunteer Artillery Veterans. The officers and men behaved themselves well and gallantly. Most respectfully, Maj. S. B. MOE, FELIX PR. SALM, Colonel, Commanding Post. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dist. of the Etowah, Chattanooga, Tenn. |