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834 Series I Volume XXIII-I Serial 34 - Tullahoma Campaign Part I

Page 834 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXXV.

LEXINGTON, KY., July 28, 1863-10.10 a. m.

GENERAL: Saders sends the following:

We are attacked here by a considerable force-I think at least 1,500 or 2,000 with three or four pieces of artillery. I think I will be forced to fall back toward the river. Please send instructions for action here as soon as convenient.

W. P. SANDERS,

Colonel, Commanding.

GEO. B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

General GEORGE L. HARTSUFF.

STANFORD, July 31, 1863.

GENERAL: I have just arrived here. Have fought and followed Scott from Big Hill to-day; have killed and wounded quite a number; taken over 100 prisoners; among them the lieutenant-colonel of Scott's regiment. A large number of guns and other property has been destroyed or captured. My horses are completely worn out. Some of the men have had nothing to eat for three days, and have not rested to feed our horses but once since leaving Lexington. It is reported that Scott's men are not much better off. They sent their stock by the way of Carb Orchard, and will probably get it over the Cumberland to-night. I shall rest and feed men here. Lieutenant Guthrie, loyal, Fifth Tennessee, was killed to-day.

W. P. SANDERS,

Colonel, Commanding.

General GEORGE L. HARTSUFF.

LEXINGTON, KY., August 10, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of my command during the late raid of the rebels under Scott.

On the 27th of July, I received orders from the general commanding the corps to proceed to Richmond, Ky., and, at my discretion, assume command of all the mounted forces there. I found Major Foley, Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, in command of a detachment of his own regiment, and of the One hundred and twelfth Illinois and the Second and Seventh Ohio, in all about 500 men, and that all possible steps had been taken to find out the movements of the enemy, and to resist his advance.

During the night I received information of a skirmish some 12 miles from Richmond, on the Big Hill road, and that our scouts and advance pickets were being driven in. At daylight I moved out on road, and took up a position to check their advance. The enemy appeared about sunrise, and commenced a skirmish, which lasted three hours, at which time I found that I was about to be surrounded by a superior force, and determined to fall back to the Kentucky River. During this skirmish the enemy used three pickets of rifled ordnance and one mountain howitzer. I moved my entire command out on the road, and marched through the town of Richmond in good order. Up to this time my loss had been 3 men wounded and several horses disabled. As the command was leaving the town, by some unexplained cause, the rear guard were thrown into confusion, broke, and rushed into the column, and created great confusion there. I was writing at the time, and was thrown behind the rear guard. All efforts to rally them were unavailing, and


Page 834 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXXV.