| From the Houston Telegraph |
| |
| February 15, 1865 |
| |
| Late Yankee Raid |
| From the Clarion of Jan 4th |
| |
| 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 Capt. Chas. Ley, Railroad Agent
at Corinth, one hundred hands were put to work on the north end of the
road the second day after its being cut, and on Friday last, Major Geo.
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 Okalona. Up to Monday night not a blow had been struck to
repair the road from Egypt to Okalona, a distance of eight miles. We now
hear that a competent force was to commence work yesterday, and the road
will be in running order on Friday next. |
| Boonville |
| On Saturday night, December
24th, about 9 o'clock, they struck the road at Boonville, twenty miles
south of Corinth. They numbered about one hundred and fifty; they burned
the station, cars all the stores five in number, but tore up only four
miles of the track. Mr. Salter and Mr. Nance, in charge there, lost
quite heavily. The former, about $8,000, and the latter some fifteen to
twenty thousand dollars. They entered no private dwellings, and were in
a hurry to leave. The Government property, tax in kind delivered at the
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, etc., in the building were destroyed. The next morning, Sunday, a
large body struck the road at |
| 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 |
| 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.
Sampson, Postmaster, saved the contents of the Post Office, but lost
some 400 pounds of bacon A Mr. Ashcraft who fired upon the party
entering the house, lost everything, even to the tearing up of his
wife's and children's clothing. Some others suffered nearly as hard 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. |
| Gen. Forrest had a camp of
rendezvous at this point, and his command lost heavily. They succeeded
in running off their mules and horses, and some 15 or 20 wagons. Fifty
wagons, one caisson and limber, 50 skillets and ovens, 100 new Enfield
rifles belonging to Chambers' 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 about 350 bushels; also
500 bushels of shelled corn in sacks, and some 500 wool hats in boxes.
The railroad company lost 11 box and 14 platform cars at this point. |
| Shannon |
| Between Shannon and Verona
about 500 yards of track was turned over, and six bridges and trestles
destroyed; 12 dirt cars, 300 bushels of corn, three stores and Mr.
Townsend'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 K??wah, Tallahene??, Ta??la Slough, Caiwappa and
Tu??la Slough and Tu??ba -- the two latter badly damaged, the others are
easily repaired. |
| Okalona |
| This town suffered severely --
over one-half of the business portion being completely gutted, including
the Express and Railroad offices. The steam water tank and turn-table
were burnt Dr. Park's h?? was left standing. The business portion of the
town was almost entirely destroyed. Major Quinlan's commissary house
filled with stores, was given to the devouring elements early. They
burnt the fine residence of Judge Thornton, the building occupied by
Major Billups quartermaster. |
| The agent of the tax in kind
saved all but 1,500 empty sacks, and about 20 pounds of wood. E.
Fitzgerald, of Mobile, had in store two bales thread, 150 pair cards, 30
sacks salt, 200 yards of domestic, and about $500 worth of other goods. |
| The loss in the
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, 2000 pounds of
bacon and 66 head of cattle. |
| ***** Several small stores
were burned, and in all 31 buildings consumed, making the centre and
business portion of the town a blackened ruin. From Okalona their course
was marked by the burning of gin house, and other property, and the
destruction of the Ma?ubba bridge and three trestles including the one
on the Walker plantation. |
| Egypt |
| At this point three or four
hundred yards of track were destroyed, with four box cars filled with
commissary stores from Okalona. A little below that point four coaches,
one baggage and four box cars were destroyed, 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 35 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 bent. 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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