| From the Richmond Sentinel |
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| September 3, 1863 |
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| [From the Grenada Appeal] |
| 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 railroad 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 Central road at Durant'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 rout no outrages were
committed beyond stealing horses and mules, and but few negroes
accompanied them. They reached Grenada on Monday evening, the 11 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. Semmins, 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 belonged to the New Orleans{,
Jackson} & Great Northern road. Nearly all the stock of the
Central was saved, in consequence of being at stations below Durant
and above Coffeeville. |
| The citizens of Grenada being warned of
the raid, the village was almost entirely deserted. What was known as
the Mister block, with the adjoining building, eight brick storehouses
and a few wooden tenements, were destroyed. Mr. Mister lost a valuable
stock of goods. Comparatively little damage was done to other private
property. The party remained in undisturbed possession of the town
until Wednesday morning, when they started North on the Panola road,
and the citizens returned to their homes. The railroad material and
property destroyed was very valuable, and the principal object of the
expedition was probably frustrated by their inability to get it off as
contemplated. |
| A few Yankees, who had been thrown across
the Abataponbogue as pickets were taken prisoners.. Our total loss of
men is stated above. Gen. Chalmers was absent from his department at
the time, at General Johnston's headquarters. |
| We also learn from Mr. Williams that the
cotton at Grenada, and in the country North of there, has been
destroyed by our authorities. About six thousand bales, including
Government and private stock, were burned at Grenada. The corn crop of
the country is excellent, and will yield a large surplus above
supplying the demands for home consumption. As Gen. Stephen D. Lee is
reported to have extended the operations of his strong cavalry force
to North Mississippi, it is to be hoped he will be able to offer a
somewhat successful resistance to the enemy's raiding parties. If so,
there is no portion of the Confederacy now within our control from
which such large supplies of meat and grain can be drawn as from the
section named. Let our authorities bear this in mind, and set
accordingly. We shall need all we can get! |
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