May 11, 1863, The New York Herald
MURFREESBORO, May 9, 1863.
Rebel reports from Chattanooga of the 7th say that the force sent from this army under Colonel Streight, of the Fifty-first Indiana regiment, have been captured near Rome, Georgia, after five battles with the enemy. This force was co-operating with General Dodge, from Corinth.
Full credence is not placed in this report, as we have nothing from General Hurlbut on the subject. Even if this be true, Streight ought to have captured rebels even to the number of his own force, besides doing immense damage to the country though which he penetrated.
A correspondent of the Mobile Register, writing from Jackson, gives an account of the extensive Union raid into Mississippi, and says more active measures should have been used to check it.
A freight train was destroyed at Newton, and all communication with Meridian cut off.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn., May 10, 1863.
Despatches are in from below, giving Colonel Streight movements up to the 26th ult.
Colonel Streight left Tuscumbia on that day, going to Blountsville. At that point he had an engagement with the enemy, who were pushing after him. He succeeded in ambushing the rebels, and whipping them badly. He then moved on towards Rome, to which point they were destined.
The rebel statements are subsequent to this. They say an overwhelming force surrounded Col. Streight, and succeeded in capturing him. He had destroyed some large iron works on Coosa river, near Georgia river.
MURFREESBORO, May 10, 1863.
The following are the details, from the Chattanooga Rebel of May 17, of the capture of Colonel Streight’s forces:
It says Forrest marched from Spring Hill to the vicinity of Tuscumbia, Ala., where he formed a junction with Colonel Roddy, and attacked General Dodge.
The fight took place on Tuesday, April 28, and lasted several hours. Forrest fell back to Courtland. No casualties are stated. While Dodge was fighting Forrest, Col. Streight made a detour around Courtland; but instead of attempting to get in Forrest’s rear, moved off towards Georgia, having a hundred miles start of Forrest, who pursued him. Forrest overtook Colonel Streight at Dayton’s Gap, in Sand Mountains, and a battle ensued in which Streight was driven forward, with the loss of forty killed, wounded and missing.
Six miles further on another engagement took place, lasting an hour and a half, in which Streight is reported as being again driven forward, with the loss of two pieces of artillery, formerly captured from Roddy.
Fifteen miles further south, Streight was again attacked, ambushing the rebels. Next day Streight was overtaken at Blountsville, from which place the Rebel says Forrest drove him, as before, with the loss of three killed and twelve wounded. A bridge near the town of Gadsden was destroyed.
Nine miles beyond Gadsden another skirmish ensued, and Colonel Hathaway is reported killed.
Streight was finally overtaken about two miles from Cedar Bluff, and twenty-six from Rome. An advance of two hundred had gone towards Rome, and were checked about two miles from that city by armed citizens. Forrest demanded Streight’s surrender, and Streight complied.
The Rebel tells the ridiculous stories that only four hundred and forty men were in the fight, and that they captured seventeen hundred, and that the force captured consisted of the Third Ohio, Eighteenth Illinois, Fifty-first and Seventy-third Indiana, with three companies of Alabamians and four mountain howitzers.
Another raid into Georgia is reported by the Rebel. It says a force three thousand strong had gone as far south as Talladiga, eighty miles below Rome, that the Georgia troops were mounted on the animals captured from Streight, and were sent after the Yankees.