O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XVII/1 [S# 24]
DECEMBER 15, 1862-JANUARY 3, 1863.
Forrest's Expedition into West Tennessee.
No. 1.
Report of Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Davies, U.S. Army,
commanding District
of Columbus, of operations
December 18, 1862-January 3, 1863.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF COLUMBUS,
January 9, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of
transactions in this
district since December 18, 1862:
I received telegram from General Sullivan, at Jackson, stating that the enemy
had crossed the Tennessee River at Clifton in force and were menacing Jackson,
and asking for troops. I had none to spare him, and so answered. I understood
he withdrew most of the troops from Union City into Jackson. News came that
Humboldt, Trenton, and Dyer had fallen into the hands of the enemy. I
immediately
ordered the withdrawal of the force at Kenton (two companies) if
Rutherford should
also fall. It fell, and I ordered the two companies to fall back on Columbus
and also
the one company at Union City. I subsequently, on hearing that the enemy were
falling back, sent the company back to Union City, and they had no more than
arrived in and train left when a flag of truce was sent with paroled
prisoners, and
while the officer in command was arranging for the flag of truce to be sent in
they
were surrounded by a large force and surrendered without firing a gun.
Upon
the cutting off of communication with General Grant I telegraphed to
General
Halleck the state of things, and he immediately ordered General Curtis to send
General Fisk's brigade to re-enforce me, giving me orders in three separate telegrams
"to hold Columbus at all hazards and make no movement of
troops that would
endanger it." Having no reliable information but such as I
could gather from scouts
and countrymen I was compelled to do all to the
maximum for the defense of
Columbus and the public property at the place. I
had what I supposed was reliable
information that Forrest had a force of 7,000 and ten pieces of artillery and
was
backed by a heavy infantry force. Under these circumstances I ordered the
loading
of all the commissary and quartermaster's stores on the boats that brought
troops
and forwarded the
stores to Memphis, in accordance with orders from the
commissary department.
This helped my defenses very much and placed Columbus
at once beyond all
danger, even though the forces came here that were reported.
I got some navy
howitzers from Cairo and the mosquito gunboat Fair Play to aid
along the
river. A portion of Forrest's force having been reported as moving toward
Hickman, which had been evacuated to re-enforce Columbus (their having but 63
infantry and 73 cavalry for duty), and the additional fact that Van Dorn was
also
moving in the same direction, and from information I received concluded their
design was to gain some point on the Mississippi to interfere with the
navigation.
This conclusion proved true. The same evening I gained the
information I dispatched
the gunboat Fair Play to Hickman, to be there at
daylight. The steamer Duke coming
up was being brought to when the gunboat
hove in sight. She sheered off and came
on up and the rebels disappeared.
They endeavored to mount during the day two
64-pounder condemned guns
on the bank, left by the Navy. Hearing of it I dispatched
a regiment
to roll the guns
into the river and burn the carriages, which was done.
Island No. 10, with all its armament in position and with plenty of
ammunition, was the
greatest danger. I had 71 men there for duty, and
under the threatening aspect I ordered
the guns dismantled and
spiked with soft iron and the secesh powder there thrown into
the river.
The
remaining ammunition I had brought to Columbus.
From reports of the
movements of Jeff Thompson and Jeffers on the Missouri
shore against New Madrid I
consulted Generals Tuttle and Fisk, who were here,
as to the propriety of evacuating
New Madrid and re-enforcing Fort Pillow and
placing the armament there in such a
position as to be useless in case of
capture. We all agreed to the suggestion, and it
was accordingly done. In the
then position of our army below, without coal or supplies,
I considered that
no possible chance should be run of the enemy getting possession of
either of
these two points with the armament and ammunition. They are of no value to us,
and only a bait for attack and threatening danger if allowed to remain intact.
Forrest did
not destroy the railroad this side of Union City, from which I
concluded he wished me to
send out force in detail to that point.
I did send 1,500 troops there, but immediately
withdrew them under
what I considered the
spirit of General Halleck's instructions.
I kept Forrest, however, for several days under the impression that I was going to give him
battle outside, by the movement of trains and
circulating
reports. He has been richly paid
for his
temerity and boldness.
There has been no damage done in this district nor railroad
running-gear
injured. A heavy construction train was set at work as early as possible, and
the road will be in running order probably by January 15.
I am, very respectfully,
THOS. A. DAVIES,
Brigadier-General, Commanding District of Columbus
Col. JOHN A. RAWLINS,
Assistant Adjutant-General