...Col. Hawkins’ Brigade of 5000 colored soldiers at Milliken’s Bend, as in excellent condition and its commander avers it can whip any 5000 rebels now in Arkansas. General Thomas thinks by spring there will not only be negroes enough in the field to guard the banks of the Mississippi its whole length but also to give a large surplus for duty at other points, or in the field.
An expedition, to co-operate with Gen. Averill, consisting of two regiments of infantry, 400 cavalry, and a battery of six guns, the whole force numbering 1,400 in all, under the command of Col. Geo. D. Wells of the 34th Massachusetts infantry returned to Harper’s Ferry without the loss of a man. After penetrating to Harrisonburg. When Averill has finished his work, after Wells had accomplished his diversion, strictly according to orders, he found himself confronted by from 7,000 to 10,000 of Lee’s forces and with Gen. Bosser’s brigade and a part of Stewart’s cavalry in his rear at Front Royal, but by clever strategy and forced marches he escaped the former and avoided the latter forces, and reached his post with his men and munitions unharmed. So desperate, at one time, seemed the chances of the expedition that the rebels in Winchester offered to bet that not a man would return. One hundred rebel prisoners were safely brought off.
- Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, January 9, 1864
An expedition, to co-operate with Gen. Averill, consisting of two regiments of infantry, 400 cavalry, and a battery of six guns, the whole force numbering 1,400 in all, under the command of Col. Geo. D. Wells of the 34th Massachusetts infantry returned to Harper’s Ferry without the loss of a man. After penetrating to Harrisonburg. When Averill has finished his work, after Wells had accomplished his diversion, strictly according to orders, he found himself confronted by from 7,000 to 10,000 of Lee’s forces and with Gen. Bosser’s brigade and a part of Stewart’s cavalry in his rear at Front Royal, but by clever strategy and forced marches he escaped the former and avoided the latter forces, and reached his post with his men and munitions unharmed. So desperate, at one time, seemed the chances of the expedition that the rebels in Winchester offered to bet that not a man would return. One hundred rebel prisoners were safely brought off.
- Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, January 9, 1864
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