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14 THE MORNING POST, AUGUST 27, 1899. INTO Tri.E LION'S MOUTH PODE BRAVE EORREST On Sunday, August 21, 1804, the citi zens of Memphis saw one of the most daring tilings which ever succeeded fin Wlitary history and tha annals of war scarcely record a parallel of sueii great success when you consider lit ratio of the number of men engaged in the deed and the number affected toy it. The even was For rests' s raid into 'Mem-phis, and the objective point was the Gayoso Hotel, so recently -burned. Peonle in this day generally consider this j-aid as a mere dare-devil move ment, but it wa"s far more than that. No food or provender could come to the cis-Mississippi army through the Federal close patrol, and the mam base of supplies for the army and peo ple both was in the fertile prairie coun try of Mississippi. This country had yielded bountiful crops of corn in 1SG12 and 18(13, al though efforts had been .made to de stroy it. In 1864 General Washburn had been put in command of the entire Federal Department of Memphis. His prede cessor, General Ilurlbut:, had com manded the department with an av erage of oO.OOO men in it, and had been reduced to the .normal command of the city of Memphis. K General James 11. Chalmers for some time commanded the Confederate cav alry in Northern Mississippi, and h: successfully kept Hurlbut and Wash burn out of the prairie country. But when General Forrest succeeded Gen eral Chalmers the r ederal forces were at once increased to 5U,000 men. Gen eral Chalmers continued to serve un der General Forrest and was not jeal ous of 'bus commander when the latter was complimented by the 1- ederal s considering him alone as equal to 20, 000 of their forces.' Battle of Harrisburg. The duties of General Washburn were to defend the country immediate ly around Memphis and his only offen sive duty was to prevent the corn crop of 1804 from maturing on the Missis sippi prairies. To this end he outfitted the expedition of June, 18(54. with Gen eral A. J. Smith in command of lo.u:0 troops. He and Forrest met in Norm Mississippi dui'ing the first week in .Tiilv. rlie 13.000 men having only U.000 men opposed to them. For seven days and nights there was almost constant fighting, which ended at Harricdjiu-g on Julv 14. This is neither the tkuj nor place for a review of that battle, but suffice it to say that Smith got no farther south toward the corn crops It was following Smith back North from Harrisburg that Forrest re ceived a most painful wound in the foot. No "sooner had Washburn received the news of Smith's heading for Mem phis than 'he bagan planning for .in other expedition under the same field commander. Phis time Smith was? giveu 10,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry. and tihirty -eight pieces of artillery, the whole force being composed of fresiii men and horses selected especially for raiding purpose:. Tile tight at Harrisburg was in very many respects the most severe one an which Forrest's command engaged, and they had but three weeks in which to recuperate from that battle and the week's fighting which led up to it when Smith was again in their front with an eager and fresh force, when the fighting began again on August 5. Forrest had 4,500 available men with whom to oppose 15,000, nor was there any place from which he could expect a re-enforcement. ilt was win or lose wiith his force, . and if this force lost where was the Eastern army to get its rations? j Oxford, contesting every foot of the Had His Hands Pull. The one man who entered the Con federate army as a private and becam a lieutenant general, now had all that lie could do. Never before nor since was he so ta"xed and never at anj' other time was he forced to depend so com pletely upon his matchless genius. The campaign was one succession of Charges, escapes mid ambuscades on his part. Lt was fighting by day and fighting by night. He could gain half a mile of ground by night only to lose a mile by day. There was not enough ragged topography for a grand coup. The men and horses lived principally on green corn pulled in the fields wherV they fought, each of his soldiers having long -before become his own commis sary general Hf subsistence. Often in the -middle of the night his command would cheer from one end of the line to the other as a salutation to the arriving mythical 're-enforcements; but no man more clearly than Forrest saw. through the blurt's and strategies that it was only a postpone ment of the end and that the delay could not last until the crops should have been garnered. And to make 'matters worse for the uncovered Con federates, rains began soon after the campaign opened and conditions around them were physically about as they now are in the Philippine Islands. On August 18 the army was about-half-way between Abbeville and Hurri cane Creek, not far north of Oxford, Miss. At noon Forrest called Generals Chalmers and Buford into council. "With 4,000 men." he said, T can -see mo way of whipping 14,000.' I am now going to play my last card and take the chance that the enemy will not do what he should." Then, turning to Chalmers, he concluded: "If you can hold Smith in check for 'two .days with half the command and prevent him from discovering that I have gone, I Mil go' into Memphis." Tlie Raid on -TlenipliI. The two conferees agreed that some thing ont of the ordinary had to be done, and at 5 o'clock that afternoon Forrest started for Memphis with 2,000 men wan and worn from two weeks' constant fighting in the rain, leaving Chalmers with an equal number to oppose 14,000 Federals. Nor . did Chalmers fail him. He began his re treat with a bold attack on Smith at daylight. Burroughs, the "fighting parson." leading it so fast and furious that Smith never dreamed of For rest's absence. He charged into Abbe- Great was the joy in the command when the soldiers learned that a move ment on Memphis was contemplated. Of course it was not announced,, but the wise ones soon saw a long move ment was contemplated, and it, was easj- for them to surmise its destina tion. It was Forrest's intention to take as few Memphians on the trip as possible, for the temptation for them to scatter through tin- city would be too great. mt as the command headed for l'auola a . o clock that atternoon many a dar ing fellow escaped from his company to join the raiders. For supper for man and beast there was only a tightening or ueit ana cinch, and the 2,000 men and horses, nhvsically exhausted, were only able to make the trip on account af the spirit of the leader and the spirit of the men. It was forty miles to Panola, ind that was the first stop made. Here the horses rested from 7 o'clock until 10 o'clock on the morning of August 10. The twenty-three miles to Sena tobia were covered that day and the night spent in Senatobia. Early on the morning of August 20 the march toward Hernando was re sumed. All of the trip up to that time had been made in mud almost to the knee, but the few pieces of artillery had kept up with the pace. Ait Improvised IS rid sec. Now the nil) came. First the Ilick- ahala was reported as out of its banks from the flood and all bridges gone. But the military genius of the war could not stop for that. Men best mounted were deployed right :Jid left to tear up gin tioors. others to cut down telegraph poles and still others to se cure the longest grapevines that could be secured in the bottoms. All were to converge at the point where Forrest was to cross. In less than two hours' from the rime the head of the column reached the Hickahala these materials had been formed into a bridge, half pontoon style, held in place by the vines made fast to trees above and the entire column, including artillery, had crossed safely over a raging tor rent sixty feet wide. Cold water was a larger stream and much wider, but it took only three hours for the construction of a similar bridge there and for crossing safely over it. There was only a brief stop at Her nando. 23 miles south of Memphis, and by o o'clock on the morning f Sunday, August 21, the command was close on the outpost pickets of Mem phis. In the short halt there the plan of attack was announced. It was brief. The strictest of silence was to be main tained until the enemy should tire. Captain William H. Forrest was to look after the first pickets, and when the rush came Jesse Forrest was to go after Wahburn on I'uion street, near DeSoto street, wane lolouel dog wood was to surround the Gayoso Hotel in the hope of stopping Hurlbut. Challenged by the pickets. Captain Forrest replied that his command con sisted of an Iowa and Missouri regi ment, which were known to be with Smith. Told to advance one at a time, the captain saw that he could not quietly bag the pickets, so he opened Hire. Charged Into the Cltjr. Gass, Forrest's bugler, sounded the charge, but now saw those close to him heard it. The first shot was a signal for a pair of spurs to dig into each jaded sttn-d and for every human throat to begin the "rebel yell." The lion had crept as close as he could upon his game and now he sprang for ward with the roar at which all the forest trembles. Down Mississippi avenue came the column, striking no serious opposition until the vicinty of the old State Fe male College was reached. Here a consderable body of Federals were camped, but there was no time for the first of them even to dress, much less form for action. This was just before day, and in the preceding fifty eight hours Forrest had traveled more than loo miles in a low country flooded for ten days. General ' Forrest remained in the vicinity of the college, personally di recting the fighting there. The enemy made several attempts to rally, but he was upon them too quickly for any considerable force to get together. They made an attempt to operate from the college building as a base, but a few cannon shot at that emptied it as completely and almost as quickly as an inverted pail of water. Jesse Forrest had gotten to the Union street general headquarters just a moment after Washburn had lied in his rolve de nuit for Fort Pickering. Colonel Loprwood was equally un successful as far as concerned General Ilurlbut, for that convivial officer had spent Saturday night with a friend in South Memphis instead of at the Gay oso Hotel. A file of soldiers on each side of the hotel told The occupants that a single shot from a door or win dow would be a signal for firing the building, and there was peace. In those days there Was a grand stairway just in -front of the main western entrance to the building. It was up and then down this that Cap- ta.in "Hill rorrest rode di is horse, obe dient for once to the general's instruc tions to "1ft no man dismount." He Took Long Chances. To state that there was consterna tion in -the 'city does not express half of what those here at the time felt Th coming of the matchless Forrest to Ills own home, the charging 0f rhe pursued boldly into the very focus of the pursuers was as mwh rI to the residents of Memphis as to thei unwelcome guests. When the first few shots were heard Memphians awoke and turned over for a second summer Sunday morning nan. r, 1 ?.:r only a moment before, the v -Vin heard the welcome vril -k , ' l,,,J"in camion shots at the iClZ of musketry, and rhe raciu- of J horses as they tli,J,'." of come Into Memphis,5 and who wouM days and nights, and was about to or- or could do such a thing but Forrest? rest the Confederate, when up rode a The records do not show the exat courier covered with mud uud much number of troops in Memphis at that excited. time, but Washburn had 0O.000 In ills When Forrest started on raid ho department, hence it i safe to st:ite had the win conrnftltig Smith with that Memphis contained at least ten the Memphis and Charleston Itnllnm-l Federals to every one of Forrest's broken down. The courier brought dU- meu. He had ik idea of holding the patches across this g-ip In town, nut wantexl to scare Washburn continuing what tin " New Gallery Under nn Old Name! WATSON THE 131 1-2 Faytttavtll Strtat. QALEI4M. H. C, so badly that he would call in all out side troops. Including Smith's force, to protect the city from other raids. He took the chance that Washburn would not do. under such circum stances, what lie ought to do. If For rest with -U00 men could not hold Smith In check, how could do it with half that force? rorui.Ait miens nri.i; iiKUKrotit ntttw tin wire executed nronintlr and iatiifaevrilT. A " " " - I'll IJJ t ' Confederate Iwi ited. Rate loner, character of work considered. :hja ....! ' told Smlrh. and the Federal forev be-j eih. pan a hasty trip north, with Cluilnier-; harassing their n-ar as much as id ble. ForreM's hist nrd had won. Washburn, in his later rciort to Howard, attempted to lay till' the FRED A. WATSON, j ' " 1 , Ml Chalmers bbi me for Firtvsts tcuio on Smith. When For-i but was still satisfied of the faet tin: rest came into Memphis, did not Wa-di-'the Confederate command was o bro- burn know that Smith was opposed ken down from the trip tliat It wa s I:icaiable of furrhcr aeilve operation during the rrmahibT of the mm-ii. How easily he was s.rti!l.l and b w well he prophesied, let the Middle TciiiMtMe raM witness. Forn-st left Memphis on August 21. LSdl. Three days Liter he ha.i extri cated Ids men from all danger f the enemy and he gave them rhe nive qui H'ut from the elements and hun ger that is, ih-y were scattered for forage and rest. On Septemlter 1 they were agttiu In the saddle, and in ih mi I He of th month he left Corinth. Miss.. f,.r th bv as few less men as Forrest brought into Memphis? Knowing this, why should not Smith be ordered to push faster into the corn country? All of these questions now seem eay to answer, but so great was the ter ror of Forrest's name and so much greater was the terror of his presence that Washburn did as Forrest calcu lated that is, he did not Vo what he ought to do. Forrest was. in Smith's rear. It did not seem to occur to the enemy that Smith was also in For rest's rear. When the two detachments sent into the heart of the -ity failed to capture , T nns,v river, cr.sdng at the hvu!s Washburn and Hurlbut, they turn-dion th" lt:th with 4..Vmi .,..,. i,;,v- their attention to lesser lights ami practical affairs. In the 5ayoso Hotel there were many ofiJeers stopping. Many of these were made prisoners and prisoners were also picked up in large bunches in other parts of -he city. The roll of captured footed up (X). The men had worn out many of their mounts on the raid and Meinpui afforded an opportunity for 4oii or more fresh Federal cavalry horses to be secured. ltetlrrd In Good Ordrr. It was about 11 o'clock in the fore noon when Forrest began retiring from the city. This was nearly eight hours after the first alarm, and it had taken that long for the Federals to organize enough of their forces to make his long stay dangerous. Logwood and Colonel Forrest joined their forces on DeSoto street and ;r--eed"d to the vicinity of t lie college. It was now a constant fusillade from windows, houses, trees and fences, but the Confederates kept the shaiThiot ers so busy that the loss to the raiders was insignificant. Shortly before the men who had come into the city proper rejoined For rest in the southern suburb there oc curred an affair which showed u.s daring, and for their action m this occasion his men have been much criti cised. On a, hill some distance from Forr.st Colonel Starr rode out in front of uis Federal cavalry commander, an 1. facimr r orn-st. waved his sword owr his head. It was a challenge for a single-handed mounted sword duel to the ommanding officer of the Confed erate force. Forrest accepted it prompt I v and rode along at a tr. Starr did the same, lie was reputed to 1m an excellent swordsman, and Forrest's fame in that line is known to all. The duel promised to be a most Interesting one. but when the prin cipals had gotten quite close together. each increasing his spcd, a few shots were heard from the (nfeler.ite direction, and Starr fell dead from his saddle. Forrest was furious at what he ?on sidered treachery. Dashing back to his comma ml. he demanded the names of the men who had tired that he might give them summary punishment. He was lnformd that the shots were fir d because Starr's force was seen to be moving so as to comiHetely envelop the duelists, a fact which he had not no ticed, but this did not satisfy him. Some one must have suffeml. but at this juncture a sharp rattle of small arms toward town told the general that his men were in trouble, and in the rush to extricate them he forgot about the Starr incident. ITIadc Tfrm With Thftn. Forms t was but a few miles south of the city when he found a suitable ambuscade at the crossing of a creek. Here he halted, arranged his fon-es so as to protect .themselves, their K Ml prisoners nnd horses from langer of a successful attack, wnd sent a flag of truce to Ocneral Washburn. The mes senger said to the commander at Mem phis that General Forrest liad tluse prisoners without means of foding them, and that many were without shoes or proper clothing. Inasmuch as they belonged :to Vashburn's com mand he should, for humanity's sake, provide food and clothing for them, and General Forrest would wait there for the s.roivs. After much parleying they were sent. A reading of the official rei-ords of the war, ns now being puhlishd. In serial numbers 77 and 7S. vol. :.S, part v., shows some very interesting corre spondence. Washburn reported to General Howard that he had Forrest just exactly where he had lor a long time wanted to get him. In fact. tv mid the telegram one would think t.liat Washburn instead of Forrest had plan ned the trip to Memphis. Wajhburu was delighted That Forrest had ome, for the coming had so exhausted lr rcst's men and mounts that there was no possibility of his ecaie. The cap ture of Forrest in person and his whole force was but a matter of a few liours. Smith was to cross from Oxford atid Ik the lower millstone ujHia which the Confederates would be ground by the upper millstone to go out from Mem phis. Smith had botten into Oxford on the day that Forrest had gutcn in;o Mem phis. In other words, opposed by one seventh as many men as he command ed, he had traveled one-enth of the distance traveled by same time and opposed bv a force of more than ten times the size of bis command. ing one blanket, one el ratine of cloth ing, four days' raih.ns an I Hn ru:i ! of ammunition. On OetoNr '. he re- cro"sed the river. -sftT having in twenty -cthroo days traveled .'mi miles. captimd .hm buses nu 1 mules. ::.ihi stands of arms, with orduauee. com missary. qiMPterma-ter Hl!d in.di-:il Mores. iie! roved P miles of r.iilnr.1 1 ttack. large ailmtd brilg. loo w.tr- ons. nrty freight e.irs. two :iir lies, t, i Meek houses, ."i.om cmls of vn,. I. n government mill. vL:h th.io- in Is ., fee of IiiuiImt. having sc-un-1 l.imi new ni-ruits. bringing back 7i M-ng-glers from Wheeler's army, and all at a loss of ..ih) men and one othe r. tH eiTY ....O KB I RANGE About sirjns swinging across sidewalks will soon Q -effect. The ordinance allows BICYCLE STANDS to be used on sidewalks. We offer strong Iron Bicycle Stands with a space 1 fix 1 4 inches on which a si -n be painted. They advertise your business and a: convenience to customers. THOMAS H. BRIGGS & SONS. RALEIGH. N. C f '? A, i t . .i. ft WILL GO ON YOUR BOND liieisnBoinasMiGo 101 luiiuuu uuinui OP BALTIMOQE. Rtaourca Over S2. 500.000.03 BoslassCaMad to Sura ty Boat's. Accepted Sole Surety 'oylhe D. Gon.,and StAte and Cowotieiof N.C Solicits tao Bonds of Bank. Corporation aad K. R. OSetit, Coanty. City and FeJeral Officer. Cotton and Tobacco flu vers. Dep. Collector. G jrra. etc Insurance and Ke litter Agenta. Port master. LfV :t Carrier, eta. Salesmen. Clert aad Bookkeeper; Administrator Executor, etc Guardian. Recxiver and Aisigaett. Contractors and Builder a. Tobacco and Cigar Manufactarer. Aad all person occupying positlaaa ot traat or responsibility. Afitats wanfed througkoat taa Stata. (REASONABLE RATES. APPI T TO R. B. RANEY. 6en'l Agent. RALEI6H, N. C. a a. 2 t t u t Peace Institute RALEIGH, N. C. One of the celebrated Female Schools of the Sou.h. noted for its advanced and thorough courses in a'.l departments of Female Education, for the hip social standing of its pupils and for the elegant manners and superior culture of its gradual?. Its courses equal those of our regular male college; Excellent buildings, beautiful gjounds. Session begins September 14, 1899. The best b always the cheapest For catalogue and full particulars, address the Prinapil, James Dinwiddle, A. A (of lie Csieerauy of Tlx taitj rluolpul. I : yWe and tlieQ fell l)ac slowly -twai-a 'streets told tlipin u,at ioie ftieod they Umiulerea throu-h".l ' had 2,000 Tons Coal ioo Tons Hay 1 iff ifl 69 69 AT J. Ferrall & Co 222 Faycttevillc Street. 1 S PRICES THE LOWEST. just REeEivpn!69 i69 ;69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69, 4! Jones & Powell. 1.05G lbs. very choice N. C. Hams 600 lbs. Fine Virginia New N. C. Roe Herrings Woods packing best in the State 7 if (9 ft? (9 6? if if if if if if if if if if if Hams li if if ROSES ROSES. CARNATIONS AND OTHER CHOICE CUT FLOWERS. FLO RAL DESIGNS TASTEFUL LY ARRANGED AT SHORT NOTICE. WEDDING DECORATIONS Talms. Ferns and all other decora tlve plants for house culture. For or naiuental gardening at lowest flsure. All sorts of bodding plant: Roses. Geraniums. Ileliotrones. Cnlr iroi. .ancut s. lues ior me verandiu Tomato plants once transplanted in best sorts. Cabbage, pepper nnd Tot grown Lss Plants. Celerj at proper season. All mall orders promptly at tended to. t,., , STEIXMETZ. FLORIST. Raleleh. N. C. Thone 113. THE BEST Sucre of the Raid. A short time lxfore his dentil Gen eral Chalmers told of Smith's entrance Into Oxford. In 4he town w:m a for mer Couftd-i-ate Needier dis-ildfil hy womiids from further s :-vii-. .,.!m. imt him at he fourthoiie atitl iuked' where Forrest wus. vim . fcnWi-ate repllesl that he was in Mem- AndT" 2 a,bote of Grove's Taste- roo vuu Auniv. .CTer mil tn iiro. Why CXIHTlment With trnrtt.loa m u.ai -ai m . hole foreo fr ttt ""- t-rice cents. Your rUKSCRliTlON CHILLS FOR phis, smith flKiupht he was trvin" to 'I88 ilei-eive 1dm. Smith said he Si Ny! hc,n nghting Fonvrt'e whole firJ r ,mltJ The fCeeley Institute, FOR THE CURE OF THE Liquor, Opium, Cocaine axid Oihcr Drug AuU:c::cr., 2'crvc Exhaustion and the Tobacco llab:i GREENSBORO, X. C. T.i! the n:.'.r K. !. In:l:uu- m N rtli I'.i' .lm. nl ' 1 b'atiltftd ar.d he.iilJiv I x-n'i-M?. ' 1- i:i: hi:;l I " ' ' inent". u -!:-r;,n,.,i table 1 fkUfnl iu.in j?-iin nt. r, : " fi.ttUlliite a HTfet 3liin: fur -ltl'1 itMld'-te r.:r.nS"i If yvu have n friTi l ait!i-: ! w :h any .f aN..-- .i ' rai:il-l -THE NEW MAN I fur t:n ir illurtel A 1 lrc THE KEELEY IXSTITUTE. Grccnboro. X. C nnnev back If lt falls to cur. Oxford Seminary, OXFORD, iv- c- Fiftieth Anntut Sej-ion opens Aurut SO. IW .. FACILITIES INCREASED. CHARGES REIMCED. IlOAllIN'l . ' 1 ' MODATIONS ENLARGED. v, ,.j Extniordinarj odrantaes in Music. Art. Eloouiioa. Fwrrz?- - Typ'writinc tnuzhL CHARGES FOR ANNUAL SESSION: Roard end fell " r' llsh. with Latin and French, f 125; Music. $10. For illnatrst-! i VT to r. p. HOItGUOl. Fr.r - ? al
The Morning Post (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Aug. 27, 1899, edition 1
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