| From the Memphis Appeal |
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| August 26, 1863 |
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| From Grenada -- The Late Raid in
Mississippi |
| We were favored with a call
last evening by Mr. Williams, railroad agent at Grenada, who had just
arrived from Mississippi, and were able to gather full particulars of
the late raids of the Federals on the railroads in the North part of the
State. |
| The force engaged in the
movement consisted of two columns of cavalry -- one about twelve hundred
strong that marched from Yazoo City, striking the
{Mississippi} Central road at Darant's station; the other, about
one thousand strong came from above, and reached the Central road at
Coffeeville. The party at Durant seized an engine and some cars, which
they used in moving their baggage as they proceeded North. On the route
they found another engine, and at the various stations a number of cars,
until they were finally able to make up two trains of twenty-five cars
each. With these they proceeded until within a few miles of Grenada,
when an officer who heard of their approach burned a trestle bridge. The
rolling stock was then abandoned without being destroyed. On their route
no outrages were committed beyond stealing horses and mules, and but few
negroes accompanied them. They reached Grenada on Monday evening, the
11th inst. |
| The other column was met at
Coffeeville by a small Confederate force, and a continual skirmishing
was kept up our troops falling back slowly sixteen miles, to the
Yallabusha. The passage of the river was disputed by Colonel Slemmins,
with four hundred men, successfully, about an hour, and until the column
from the south approached, when he retired and both parties entered the
town. His loss was two killed and six wounded; that of the enemy
unknown. |
| The Federals announced that
the object of their movement from below and above on the Central road,
at the same time, was to concentrate the railroad stock at Grenada, and
then run it to Memphis on the Mississippi & Tennessee road. To enable
them to do this, bridges had already been prepared to be thrown across
the Tallehatchie, Coldwater, and other streams on the route. But
anticipating their purpose, Col. Slemmins destroyed both the elegant
bridges over the Yallabusha. The result was the destruction of all the
railroad property at Grenada, embracing twenty-nine engines, one hundred
and sixty-four passenger and freight cars, and the depots and machine
shops. The Government mill near the depot was also burned. The
Mississippi Central lost four engines, the Mississippi & Tennessee nine,
the balance {16} belonged to the New
Orleans and Great Northern road {New Orleans,
Jackson & Great Northern RR}. Nearly all the stock of the Central
was saved, in consequence of being at stations below Durant and above
Coffeeville. |
| ***** |
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