Series 1, vol 32, Part 1 (Forrest's Expedition)Page 127-129
JANUARY 25-FEBRUARY 5, 1864.-Expedition form Scottsborough, Ala., toward Rome, Ga.
REPORTS.
Numbers 1.-Major General John A. Logan, U. S. Army, commanding Fifteenth Army Corps.
Numbers 2.-Brigadier General Morgan L. Smith, U. S. Army, commanding expedition.
Numbers 1. Report of Major General John A. Logan, U. S. Army, commanding Fifteenth Army Corps.
SCOTTSBOROUGH, ALA., February 6, 1864.
GENERAL: Last night my troops under General M. L. Smith returned to the river, having gone i the direction of Rome as far as they could on account of forage, &c. They captured some 50-odd prisoners, destroyed all the niter works at Rawlingsville. Wheeler's force is at Gadsden. Quite a force of the enemy have concentrated at Kingston, and quite a number have passed through Montgomery to Mobile some three weeks since. There is no forage or subsistence after leaving the Tennessee until you reach the Coosa. What is there is being removed as rapidly as possible. I leave a force at he river, and will send out again soon in that direction. I think the object has been accomplished, however. I leave for Huntsville this morning and push the work on the road between Huntsville and Decatur as rapidly as possible. A great many Alabamians in the country desire to enlist in the Alabama regiment. They have shown themselves very useful men. If I had the authority I could fill the regiment and use them to a good purpose. They are the best scouts I ever saw, and know the country well clear to Montgomery. My veterans are very anxious to go home. Have heard nothing from General Thomas; I know nothing of his movements on the La Fayette road, &c.
JNO. A. LOGAN,
Major-General.
Brigadier-General RAWLINS,
Chief of Staff.
Numbers 2. Report of Brigadier General Morgan L. Smith, U. S. Army,commanding expedition.
HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Larkin's Landing, ala., February 5, 1864.
MAJOR: In obedience to orders from general Logan, received on the 25th ultimo, the Eighth Missouri Volunteers took the pontoonboats out of Mud Creek, thence down the Tennessee to Larkin's Landing, where, under the superintendence of Captain Jenney, of General Sherman's staff, the pioneers of my own and General Ewing's division constructed a bridge. Upon the arrival of the boats at 8 p. m. of the 26th, I immediately ferried over six regiments of my division to endeavor by a rapid movement to carry out yours views and capture some of the pickets operating in the valley of the Tennessee, arresting conscripts, and intercepting deserters from the army about Dalton.
The crossing was effected and the horses swum over by 9.30 p. m. The command was divided into three parts. Two regiments, under Colonel Parry, Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, moved down the river to surround a camp between Santa and Town Creeks. One, under Colonel Jones, proceeded to Gourd Neck, in the mountains, and the gird, under Major Froman, One hundred and sixteenth Illinois Volunteers, which I accompanied, made a forced march to Smith's Gap, in Sand Mountain, about 12 miles from the landing, to intercept any fugitives from the valley. These gaps were occupied by 2 a. m., and the combined movements resulted in the capture of 1 lieutenant, 8 privates, and several guerrillas. Many shots were exchanged in the night, and some horses killed and captured. We returned tot he landing next day and completed the bridge. This movement created great consternation among the guilty and caused a general stampede of citizens, negroes, and horsed for the other side of the Coosa River. It also enabled men o come out of thefastness of Sand Mountain who had been secreted a great part of the time for two years, several of whom have since raised companies for the First Alabama Cavalry, and some have enlisted in infantry regiments. One man, McCurdy, immediately after out second advance, mustered his company with a pencil on brown paper, christened it, assumed command, ordered an advance into Sand Mountain, and actually made capturers of rebel home guards in the same hiding-places they had themselves just vacated. These loyal Alabamians are invaluable, and exceed in number and are equal in zeal to anything we discovered in East Tennessee.
In obedience to your instructions, I left for Lebanon on the Rome road monday morning (the rain falling in torrents), having been joined by a brigade from each of the First and Fourth Divisions and A and H batteries, First Illinois Light Artillery, a part of the Fifteenth Michigan Mounted Infantry, a part of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, and Captain Allen's company, First Alabama Cavalry,from Bridgeport. The road was so bad that I followed your suggestion and sent back all of our wheeled vehicles from Gourd Neck, and it was all they could do to reach the river through the bottom. The infantry then took the direct road to Lebanon, arriving there Tuesday at 12 o'clock. The cavalry, under command of Colonel Oliver, Fifteenth Michigan, marched toward Guntersville, having frequent skirmishes and some fine races with that of the enemy. Arriving within a few miles of Guntersville and finding that the place had been hastily evacuated, Colonel Oliver swung round toward the Lebanon road, communicated with me at Town Creek, and then moved rapidly to Lebanon, where he captured 1 lieutenant, and 2 stations of courier-line from Dalton to Decatur, a sergeant-major, about of courier-line form Dalton to Decatur, a sergeant-major, about a dozen privates, and $5,700 Confederate money, which proved to have been a State fund for the relief of soldiers' families. From Lebanon I sent the Fifteenth Michigan Mounted Infantry to Rawlingsville to try to communicate whit General Thomas' right. They failed in this, but destroyed a quite extensive niter-works in the vicinity, and captured 1 officer and 7 privates.
On Wednesday morning the enemy appeared in force on the rome road. Colonel Stone's brigade, First Division, moved out on the main road,a nd Colonels Oliver and Heath reconnoitered his position on the right with the cavalry force. A few shots were exchanged at long range, when the enemy retired slowly, and as their mounted force was evidently far superior to ours and increasing, I declined to order a pursuit. I commenced the return at 1 o'clock and arrived at the bridge at Larkin's Landing this evening, February 5.
The results of the expedition I considered important. many of the Home Guards, including 1 officer, have resumed their allegiance by taking the amnesty oath, and the always-loyal people of this part of Alabama have learned from the general good conduct of the men who their real friends are. My thanks are due to Major Wheaton and Captain Hotaling, of General Logan's staff, for willing and valuable assistance.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
MORGAN L. SMITH,
Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding Expedition.
Major R. R. TOWNES,
Assistant Adjutant-General.