Thursday, April 23, 2020

Major-General William T. Sherman to Major-General Henry W. Halleck, July 14, 1862

MOSCOW, July 14, 1862.
General HALLECK:

Yesterday one of our forage trains, guarded by fifty cavalry, was fired on by a party that immediately fled, having killed 1 man and wounded 3 of ours. The attacking party was composed of horsemen, but their dress was not clearly seen in the ambush. I believe they were citizens hastily called together to fire on the train as it was returning loaded, and have sent a strong party to bring in twenty-five of the most prominent of the vicinity, each with a horse, saddle and bridle, whom I wish to send to La Grange and thence under guard to Columbus by to-morrow's train. I am satisfied we have no other remedy for this ambush firing than to hold the neighborhood fully responsible, though the punishment may fall on the wrong parties. The scene of the occurrence was seven miles out, south of Wolf River, and two miles and a half from where I have a regiment on picket.

W. T. SHERMAN,                
Major-General.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series II, Volume 4 (Serial No. 117), p. 211

No comments: