| From the Vicksburg Whig |
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| May 2, 1863 |
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| The Yankee Raid |
| Grierson and his Yankee
followers are still enjoying themselves by roving about through our
State, feeding on all the "Good thins" stored by the wealthy
for family use, and destroying Rail Road cars, bridges, &c., and
occasionally cutting telegraph wires. This fellow Grierson is
certainly a gallant chap, and his raid will compare favorable with
anything yet recorded, even in the south, where so many more of the
noble daring have been elated in the related prints. He starts from
LaGrange, Tennessee, and moves down for some distance on the Mobile
& Ohio Rail Road, when he strikes off in a Southwesterly direction
and enters the little village of Newton, on the Southern {(of
Mississippi)} Rail Road, where he burns a
number of bridges, two Trains of cars, the Depot, tears up the Rail
Road track, and cuts the telegraph wires, when he proceeds towards
Enterprise, on the Mobile & Ohio Rail Road, and a very important
point too, by the way. Here was the first obstacle he had come across,
since his departure from Tennessee, and finding himself almost in a
trap, demanded a surrender of the town, and when the usual
circumlocution was being gone through he got the most of his men out
of danger's way. Our forces (Infantry) started out in pursuit, but the
enemy being mounted, of course, left our men far in the distance, and
they were compelled, after a six mile tramp, to give up the chase. It
was then ascertained that they were making for the New Orleans,
Jackson & Great Northern Rail Road, and it was confidently
expected that some steps would be taken to prevent them crossing the
Pearl River, and destroying the numerous Bridges on this very
important Rail Road. But no -- they were not interrupted nor
intercepted, and crossed on the ferries and end up Monday, next day,
at Hazlehurst, where a departing train was fired at and subsequently
half of the town burned, the Rail road track torn up, Severn cars
destroyed by fire and the telegraph cut. The reported near approach of
a Cavalry expedition for their capture caused them to leave Hazlehurst
rather precipitately, and started out West, no doubt hoping to reach
their gunboats below Grand Gulf. A portion of Wirt Adams Command met
them about Twenty miles from Fayette, when Grierson wheeled round
again and made for the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Rail
Road farther South. They reached it at Bahala, and after burning this
station, moved on down to Brookhaven and then to Bogue Chitto, both of
which places they are reported to have destroyed, together with all
the bridges on the route. At last accounts they were pushing forward
toward Summit, apparently having a cart-blanche to go wherever they
pleases. Where they will turn up next or what damage they will do us,
Heaven only knows. We have for several days heard a good deal about
expeditions that will "Gobble" them up, but thus far the
expeditions have accomplished nothing, and it seems they will not
until the Yankees have destroyed millions worth of property, and let
the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Rail Road useless to us
for months. Mississippi's brow has remained untarnished until now. Her
escutcheon was with out a blemish and her name the synonym of real
courage and patriotism. But a stigma, a stain of reproach, has at last
been placed upon her which we trust will soon be washed away. A
Regiment of Yankees have peregrinated about our State from its extreme
Northern boundary to its outermost southern Borders without meeting
with a check, and committing all kinds of depredations with a perfect
nonchalance and impunity. How long will they be permitted to go? How
long before they are apprehended. |
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