| From the Augusta Constitutionalist |
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| January 20, 1865 |
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| From the Meridian Clarion, 4th |
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| The Late Yankee Raid |
| Having been cut off by the
late Yankee raid, while on a business trip to Corinth, we came down
the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, on our return, after walking some
distance to make connection with the trains below. Had the same energy
and perseverance been used on this end of the road as above Okalona,
the damage done would have been repaired and the trains running
through to Corinth ere this. Through the energy of Captain Chas Ley,
Railroad Agent at Corinth, one hundred hands were put to work on the
northern end of the road the second day after its being cut, and on
Friday last, Major General {just Major, not
Major General} Whitfield with two hundred additional laborers
went to work to repair the track between Verona and Corinth, which was
placed in running order Saturday last. This opened the road again to
within thirteen and a half miles of Okolona. Up to Monday night, not a
blow was struck to repair the road from Egypt to Okolona, a distance
of eight miles. We now learn that a competent force went to commence
work yesterday and the road will be in running order by Friday
next. |
| The damage to the road was
very slight indeed, compared to the amount which the raiders might
have inflicted. |
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| BOONVILLE |
| On Saturday night, December
24th, about nine o'clock, they struck the road to Boonville, twenty
miles south of Corinth. They numbered about one hundred and fifty;
they burned the station car, all the stores, five in number, but tore
up only four rails of track. Mr. Salter and Mr. Nance, in charge
there, lost quite heavily -- the former about eight thousand dollars.
They entered no private dwellings, and were in a hurry to leave. The
Government property, tax in kind delivered at that depot, consisting
of 200 bushels of wheat, 30 bushels of rye, 20 bushels of oats and
about a dozen sacks of salt, some private property, such as cards,
&., in the building, were destroyed. The next morning, Sunday, a
large body struck the road at |
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| TUPELO |
| and tore up some half a mile
of track in all, and burned a trestle at the south end of the switch.
On Monday night they attacked and destroyed |
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| VERONA AND SHANNON |
| At Verona the loss was very
heavy, and 400 yards of track turned over. The depot building, 30 by
100 feet, or about that, one end of which was the Post Office,
together with every store in town, was destroyed. Many private houses
were entered and clothing and provisions taken ad libitum. Mr.
Raymond, merchant, lost considerable. Mr. Simpson, postmaster, saved
the contents of the post office, but lost about 400 pounds of bacon. A
Mr. Aheraft, who fired upon the party entering his house, lost
everything, even to the loading up of his wife's and children's
clothing. Some others suffered nearly as bad in the same way. The loss
in tax in kind was 200 bushels of wheat, 3 bushels of oats, 5 bushels
of rye, and 40 pounds of wool. |
| General Forrest had a camp of
rendezvous at this point, and his corn and lost heavily. They succeeded
in running off their mules and horses, and some fifteen or twenty
wagons. Fifty wagons, one caisson and limber, 50 skillets and ovens,
100 new Enfield rifles belonging to Chalmers' command, and a large
amount of surplus clothing left by Buford's and Ross' brigades, were
destroyed. The Government lost four car loads of corn, making 950
bushels; also 500 bushels of shelled corn in sacks, and some five
hundred wool hats in boxes. The Railroad Company lost 10 box and four
platforms cars at that point. |
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| SHANNON |
| Between Shannon and Verona
about 300 yards of track was turned over, and six bridges and trestles
destroyed; 12 flat cars, 300 bushels of corn, 3 stores, and Mr.
Cowhsend's dwelling were consumed. They followed the track wherever
practicable. The most important trestle, something over a mile south
of Shannon, remained untouched, but from that point to Okolona, they
cut and burned ten bridges and trestles in all. The most important
bridges destroyed are the Kolwak, Tallabenela, Callonenela Slough,
Calwaopa, and Tocalabba; the two latter badly damaged, the others are
easily repaired. |
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| OKOLONA |
| This town suffered severely --
over one half of the business portion being completely ruined,
including the Express and Railroad offices. The steam water tank and
turn table were burnt. Dr. Park's hotel was left standing. The
business portion of the town was almost entirely destroyed. Major
Quintan's commissary house, filled with stores, was given to the
devouring elements early. Then went the residence of Judge Thornton,
the dwelling occupied bys Major Billups, quartermaster. Next Shears'
store -- loss, $5,000. |
| Bordenhamer's, Helten's,
Burris' and Peterson's stores, used by the government, were destroyed.
The telegraph office and materials were saved. Sheppard & Morris'
grocery house burnt. Their individual loss was slight, but they had
goods in store on consignment that were valued at $200,000, all of
which was lost. Voerhees & Moore's drug store, loss $30,000. House
occupied by Capt. Mellard, burnt. Biles & Jones' store, contents
saved. Barton's drug store, loss $9,000. Williams & Bro., $16,000
-- goods on consignment, $12,000. McCauley's store and contents, loss
$80,000. Crow's cabinet warehouse and machinery, loss $20,000. |
| The nest building was the post
office. All the mail matter was saved; but the firm of S. Bryand &
Co., in the same building, lost in stock about $12,000 or $15,000.
Beford's store came next, and shared the same fate, with a loss of at
least $150,0poo. The building occupied by Major Wheeler as Post
Commandant's and one or tow small buildings, together with the
carriage manufactory and blacksmith shop of St. Clair, were consumed;
the machinery and tools were of great value and cannot be replaced.
His loss will reach $75,000 and comes upon one who deserved a better
fate. |
| The agent of the tax in kind
saved all but 1,500 empty sacks and about 20 lbs wool. E. Fitzgerald,
of Mobile, had in store two bales thread; 150 pairs cards, 20 sacks
salt, 200 yards domestic, and about 500 worth of other goods. |
| The loss in quartermaster's
and commissary departments will not fall short of $200,000. |
| In the loss of commissary
stores may be included about $80,000 worth of flour, 2,000 lbs. bacon
and 50 head of cattle. |
| Major Shackelford's and
Colonel Cook's houses and contents were entirely consumed, the only
private dwellings burnt, but almost every house was pillaged, and many
lost all their clothing having them torn to threads before their eyes,
and any attempt to interfere answered by blows. Several small stores
were burned and in all, thirty-one buildings consumed, making the
centre and business portion of the town a blackened ruin. |
| From Okolona, their course was
marked by the burning of gin houses and other property, and the
destruction of the Matubba bridge and three trestles including the one
on the Walker plantation. |
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| EGYPT |
| At this point three or four
hundred yards of track was destroyed, with four box cars filled with
commissary stores from Okolona. A little below that point four
coaches, one baggage and four box cars were burned, and 15,000 bushels
of corn, tax in kind, and about 200,000 bushels belonging to citizens.
Robert Adams lost 4,000 bushels of corn, and thirty-five bales of
cotton. Such is, we believe, a correct statement of the loss
occasioned by the late raid of Grierson. |
| To recapitulate, we have about
forty bridges and trestles burned, forty-one cars destroyed, several
station houses, one water tank, one turn table, about one and a half
miles of track turned over, and some twelve to fifteen rails be3nt. As
they had a clear field it is surprising no more damage was done, one
week only being required to put the road in running order. |
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