| From the Savannah Morning News |
| |
| May 20, 1863 |
| |
| The Affair at Jackson |
| A gentleman of this city, just
returned from Jackson, gives us some interesting particulars relative to
the late capture of that city by the Yankees. |
| It seems that on Tuesday a
sharp contest was had with the advance force of Grant's army at Raymond,
six or eight miles Southwest of Jackson. The enemy outnumbered us at
least five to one; our forces were compelled to fall back upon Jackson,
which they did in good order, late at night. On Wednesday evening, just
at night, the train on which Gen. Johnston and staff had taken passage
for Vicksburg, arrived in Jackson, and the General remained over,
superintending the movements of the troops. On Thursday morning at about
nine o'clock, the enemy appeared in force a few miles south of Jackson,
and attacked and drove in our pickets. Our force did not exceed 8,000,
and so rapid had been the movements of the enemy, that several of our
regiments had not yet been arranged for action. The force of the enemy
was estimated at 30,000. It seemed to be the purpose of Gen. Johnston
merely to delay the enemy's arrival in the city as long as possible, in
order to allow our forces time to withdraw our commissary and
Quartermaster's stores. Our informant left Jackson three o'clock P. M.
Thursday. He states that some three or four buildings had been burned
before he left, set on fire by the shells of the enemy. |
| The train which left Jackson
on Thursday evening, came near being overtaken and captured by a
battalion of Yankee cavalry. A few miles west of Brandon
(Southern (of Mississippi) RR}, the cavalry
were seen a short distance from the road, but the speed of thirty miles
an hour, the train escaped. We have since learned that Brandon is in the
possession of the enemy, and that the road between that place and
Jackson has been destroyed. |
| The people of Jackson and
vicinity -- including the military as well as the civilians -- are
greatly incensed at Gen. Pemberton, and openly accused him of bad faith.
Our informant states that this feeling is strongest among the
Commissaries and Quartermasters, who state that they might have saved
everything had Pemberton given them orders to move a few hours sooner. |
| There appears to have been no
fighting but with artillery, and this was at very "long taw." The
majority of the public stores were removed; still a great quantity was
destroyed by our men to prevent them from falling into the hands of the
enemy. All the railroad rolling stock, &c., was removed. |
| Columbus Sun |
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