Doc. 132. EXPEDITION TO CORROTOWAN CREEK. OFFICIAL REPORT OF COMMANDER PARKER. U. S. STEAMER CAMBRIDGE, RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER, NOV. 9, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 6th instant I ordered a detachment of thirty men from this vessel, under the command of Lieutenant Gwin, assisted by Acting Masters Eldridge and Strong, and Midshipman Cushing, to proceed in the United States steamer Rescue to the Corrotowan Creek and capture a schooner reported to me to be loaded with firewood; and, in the event of not succeeding in this, to burn her. The schooner was found to be hard and fast ashore, and, as it was impossible to move her, she was burned in obedience to my orders to this effect, together with a large quantity of firewood piled upon shore. No resistance was met with till the Rescue began to return, when a body of rebel troops, armed with rifles, on both sides of the creek-supposed to be about one hundred and thirty in number-with a rifled canfion in a masked battery, attacked her, but without effecting much damage to our party. The rebels were concealed by thick underbrush and a house from which they fired. Acting Master Strong was struck with a spent rifle ball, but not seriously hurt, and no other person was wounded. The expedition was perfectly successful, and the duty performed in a spirited and brilliant manner. The detachment returned to this vessel about five P. M., having been absent on this duty a little more than four hours. I herewith forward Lieutenant Gwin's report of the affair: I have also to report that, having been informed by a contraband that there were three companies of rebel troops encamped at the town of Urbana, near a large magazine of powder, I proceeded on the 8th instant to that place, and endeavored to dislodge them and blow up the magazine with our battery, assisted by the Rescue. After bombarding the encampment for an hour and a half, the magazine was perforated several times with our shot and shell, but we were unable to destroy it, the depth of water not allowing us to approach the enemy nearer than one mile and a half. The rebels did not reply, except by musketry, when a boat from the Rescue attempted to approach the shore. There were no casualties in this action on our side. Since our arrival in this river, this vessel has been actively engaged in maintaining the blockade. Respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. A. PARKER, Commander. Flag-officer, L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH, Commanding U. S. A. B. Squadron, Hampton Roads. A correspondent on board the steamer Cambridge, gives the following account of the expedition: U. S. STEAMER CAMBRIDGE, BLOCKADING RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER, Nov. 6. Having learned from the negroes that came on board this morning, that a large schooner was anchored about ten miles up the Corrotowan Creek, we immediately made arrangements to cut her out. At half-past eleven a. M., an expedition under command of Lieutenant William Gwin, assisted by Acting Masters R. D. Eldridge and F. W. Strong, and Midshipman W. B. Cushing, with thirty men, left the ship in the tugboat Rescue, Captain Haines, which is acting as a tender for us, and proceeded up the river. The Rescue carries a thirty-two-pound gun, and the whole force were armed with Sharpe's rifles. Mr. W. H. Seward, our pilot, accompanied the expedition, and to his skill and coolness much of our success was due. We met with no opposition on our upward passage, though pickets were seen hastily retiring from several points on the river as we approached. Upon reaching the object of our search, we found her to be the Ada, of Baltimore, a new schooner of about one hundred and twenty tons' burden, and said to be the property of a well-known secessionist residing in the vicinity. She was loaded with wood and ready for sea-sails bent, &c. Her crew had evidently just left her upon our approach. As the tide had left her hard and fast aground, we were obliged to abandon our original intention of taking her out, although we towed upon her until we parted all our hawsers. We accordingly made preparations to burn her, and after stripping her of sails and rigging, fired her fore and aft; also set fire to a large quantity of wood upon the shore, which, with the schooner, was soon enveloped in a sheet of flame. After remaining long enough to be certain of the success of our undertaking, we started down the river again. But in the mean time our rebel friends had not been idle, and had prepared a warm reception for us. On reaching a high, wooden bluff on the western bank, about three miles from the entrance, and in a narrow part of the river, the smoke from a rifled gun flashed out from among the trees, and a shell came whizzing at us, passing through a boat on the house, and exploding, but fortunately injuring no one. At the same time a sharp fire of musketry opened on us from both sides of the river, showing the presence of a considerable force. We instantly replied with shell at the battery, and rifles at every cover, for we could not see a man of our assailants. We ran this gauntlet for half a mile, and had just cleared the range of the large gun, when firing commenced from a house on the right. We gave them a shell, which entered the second story and exploded, nearly ruining the building, and poured in a volley from our rifles, which soon stopped all hostile intentions on the part of the enemy. After leaving this, than twelve or fifteen miles. I also sent a place, we met with no further annoyance, small force on the Kentucky side with orders though we raked every suspicious point with canister as we approached. I am happy to state that no injury was received by our men. The enemy's gun (a rifled twelve-pounder) was well served, and the Rescue was grazed three times by their shell, but without receiving any damage of consequence. Acting Master Strong was struck by a spent rifle ball, causing merely a slight bruise. not to approach nearer than Ellicott's Mills, some twelve miles from Columbus. The expedition under my immediate command was stopped about nine miles below here on the Kentucky shore, and remained until morning. All this served to distract the enemy, and led him to think he was to be attacked in his strongly fortified position. At daylight we proceeded down the river to a point just out of range of the rebel guns, and debarked on the Missouri shore. From here the troops were marched by flank for about one mile toward Belmont, and then drawn up in line of battle, a battalion also having been left as a reserve near the transports. Two companies from each regiment, five skeletons in number, were then thrown out as skirmishers, to ascertain the po The men of both vessels acted with coolness and gallantry, paying more attention to their own shots than those of the enemy. We have since learned from contrabands that there was a force of eighty riflemen with the gun on the western bank, and a company of fifty cavalry on the eastern. We accomplished our object safely and successfully, and are wishing for further opportunities of annoying the seces-sition of the enemy. It was but a few moments sionists. before we met him, and a general engagement ensued. We have been on the river ten days, and have picked up seventy-three runaway negroes. They report that the inhabitants are much incensed against us, and are about preparing batteries, at different points, to endeavor to drive us out of the river, though we have seen none of them as yet. Nov. 8.-This morning we threw a number of shells upon Gray's Point, where we had reason to think the rebels are erecting a battery, and this afternoon have thrown about seventyfive shells into the village of Urbana. A contraband who came from there this morning, reports that the town is deserted, except by a garrison of two hundred and forty troops, and that they have a large quantity of ammunition stored there. We do not know, as yet, the full effect of our cannonade, though several buildings in the vicinity of the magazine are known to have been struck. Yours, truly, Doc. 133. CAMBRIDGE. THE BATTLE AT BELMONT, MO., FOUGHT NOVEMBER 7, 1861. GEN. GRANT'S REPORT. CAIRO, NOV. 12, 1861. On the evening of the 6th inst. I left this place with two thousand eight hundred and fifty men of all arms, to make a reconnoissance toward Columbus. The object of the expedition was to prevent the enemy from sending out reinforcements to Price's army in Missouri, and also from cutting off columns that I had been directed to send out from this place and Cape Girardeau, in pursuit of Jeff. Thompson, Knowing that Columbus was strongly garrisoned, I asked Gen. Smith, commanding at Paducah, Ky., to make demonstrations in the same direction. He did so by ordering a small force to Mayfield another in the direction proach nearer, however, of Columbus The balance of my forces, with the exception of the reserve, was then thrown forward-all as skirmishers-and the enemy driven foot by foot, and from tree to tree, back to their encampment on the river bank, a distance of wo miles. Here they had strengthened their position by felling the timber for several hundred yards around their camp, and making a sort of abatis. Our men charged through this, driving the enemy over the bank into their transports in quick time, leaving us in possession of every thing not exceedingly portable. Belmont is on low ground, and every foot of it is commanded by the guns on the opposite shore, and of course could not be held for a single hour after the enemy became aware of the with drawal of their troops. Having no wagons, I could not move any of the captured property; consequently, I gave orders for its destruction. Their tents, blankets, &c., were set on fire, and we retired, taking their artillery with us, two pieces being drawn by hand; and one other, drawn by an inefficient team, we spiked and left in the woods, bringing the two only to this place. Before getting fairly under way the enemy made his appearance again, and attempted to surround us. Our troops were not in the least discouraged, but charged on the enemy again, and defeated him. Our loss was about eighty-four killed, one hundred and fifty wounded-many of them slightly-and about an equal number missing. Nearly all the missing were from the Iowa regiment, who behaved with great gallantry, and suffered inore severely than any other of the troops. I have not been able to put in the reports from sub-commands, but will forward them as soon as received. All the troops behaved with much gallantry, much of which is attributed to the coolness and presence of mind of the officers, particularly the colonels. Gen. MeClernand was in the midst of danger throughout the engagement, and displayed both coolness and judgment. His horse was three times shot. My horse was also shot under me. To those that followed to the same point, I remained until seven o'clock on the following morning. At that hour, preceded by the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, and followed by the remainder of the transports, I proceeded down the river to the designated landing on the Missouri shore, about two and a half miles, in a direct line, from Columbus and Belmont. The Seventh Iowa regiment had their Lieut.- By half-past eight o'clock the rest of the Colonel killed, and the Colonel and Major were transports had arrived, and the whole force severely wounded. The reports to be forward- was disembarked, and, marching beyond a coled will detail more fully the particulars of our lection of cornfields in front of the landing, loss. Surgeon Brinton was in the field during was formed for an advance movement, and the entire engagement, and displayed great abil-awaited your order. Ordering Dollins' and ity and efficiency in providing for the wounded Delano's cavalry to scour the woods along the and organizing the medical corps. road to Belmont and report to me from time to time, the remainder of my command followed-the Twenty-seventh in front, the Thirtieth next, supported by a section of Taylor's battery, succeeded by the Thirty-first, and the remainder of Taylor's battery, the Seventh Iowa, (Col. Lauman,) and the Twenty-second Illinois, (Col. Dougherty,) who had been assigned by you to that portion of the command. The gunboats Tyler and Lexington, Capts. Walker and Stemble, U. S. N., commanding, convoyed the expedition and rendered most efficient service. Immediately upon our landing they engaged the enemy's batteries, and protected our transports throughout. For particulars see accompanying report of I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient GENERAL McCLERNAND'S REPORT. BRIGADE HEAD-QUARTERS, Brigadier-General U. S. Grant, Commanding These forces consisted of a portion of my own brigade, viz. the twenty-seventh regiment, Col. N. B. Buford; the Thirtieth regiment, Col. Philip B. Fouke; the Thirty-first regiment, Col. John A. Logan, including one company of cavalry under Captain J. J. Dollins. The strength of the Twenty-seventh regiment was seven hundred and twenty, rank and file; that of the Thirtieth, five hundred; that of the Thirty-first, six hundred and ten-exclusive of seventy mounted men; being in all one thonsand nine hundred men, rank and file. To this force you added, by your order of the 6th inst., Captain Delano's Company of Adams County Cavalry, seventy-two men, under Lieutenant J. R. Catlin, and Captain Ezra Taylor's battery of Chicago Light Artillery of six pieces and one hundred and fourteen men. The total disposable force under my command was two thousand and eighty-six, rank and file-all Illinois Volunteers. Having embarked on the steamer Scott, with the Thirtieth and Thirty-first, on the evening of the 6th instant, I left Cairo at five o'clock, and proceeded down the Mississippi to the foot of Island No. 1, and lay to for the night on the Kentucky shore, eleven miles above Columbus, as previously instructed by you. Posting a strong guard for the protection of the boat, and I When the rear of the column had reached a road intersecting our line of march, about a mile and a half from the abatis surrounding the enemy's camp, the line of battle was formed on ground which I had previously selected. The Twenty-seventh and Thirtieth, having formed too far in advance, were recalled to the position first assigned them-the Twenty-seventh on the right, and the Thirtieth on the left. A section of Taylor's battery was disposed on the left of the Thirtieth and two hundred feet in rear of the line, the Thirty-first in the centre, and the Seventh Iowa and Twenty-second Illinois forming the left wing, masking two sections of artillery. By this time Dollins' cavalry were skirmishing sharply with the enemy's pickets to the right and in advance of our line, and the enemy had shifted the heavy fire of their batteries at Columbus from our gunboats to our advancing line, but without effect. With your permission I now ordered two companies from cach regiment of my command to advance, instructing them to seek out and develop the position of the enemy, the Twentysecond Illinois and Seventh Iowa pushing forward similar parties at the same time. A sharp firing having immediately commenced between the skirmishing parties of the Thirtieth and Thirty-first and the enemy, I ordered forward another party to their support, rode forward, selected a new position, and ordered up the balance of my command--the Twentyseventh-to pass around the head of a pond, the Thirtieth and Thirty-first, with the artillery, crossing the dry bed of the same slough in their front. On their arrival, I reformed the line of battle in the same order as before. It was my expectation that the Twenty-second Illinois and the Seventh Iowa would resume their former posi tions on the left wing, which would have perfected a line sufficient to enclose the enemy's camp, on all sides accessible to us, thus enabling us to command the river above and below them, and prevent the crossing of reinforcements from Columbus, insuring his capture as well as defeat. The Thirtieth and Thirty-first and the artillery, moving forward, promptly relieved the skirmishing parties, and soon became engaged with a heavy body of the enemy's infantry and cavalry. The struggle, which was continued for half an hour with great severity, threw our ranks into temporary disorder; but the men promptly rallied under the gallant example of Colonels Fouke and Logan, assisted by Major Berryman, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General of my brigade; also by Capt. Schwartz, Acting Chief of Artillery, Capt. Dresser, of the artillery, Lieut. Babcock, of the Second cavalry, and Lieut. Eddy, of the Twenty-ninth Illinois regiment, who had, upon my invitation, kindly joined my staff. Our men pressed vigorously upon the enemy and drove them back, their cavalry leaving that part of the field and not appearing again until attacked by Capt. Dollins, on the river bank below their encampment, and chased out of sight, near the close of the contest. Advancing about a quarter of a mile further, this force again came up with the enemy, who by this time had been reinforced upon this part of the field, as I since learn, by three regiments and a company of cavalry. Thus strengthened, they attempted to turn our left flank, but, ordering Colonel Logan to extend the line of battle by a flank movement, and bringing up a section of Taylor's battery, commanded by First Lieutenant B. H. White, under the direction of Captain Schwartz, to cover the space thus made between the Thirtieth and Thirty-first, the attempt was frustrated. Having completed that disposition, we again opened a deadly fire from both infantry and artillery, and after a desperate resistance drove the enemy back the third time, forcing them to seek cover among thick woods and brush, protected by the heavy guns at Columbus. In this struggle, while leading the charge, I received a ball in one of my holsters, which failed of harm by striking a pistol. Here Colonels Fouke and Logan urged on their men by the most energetic appeals; here Captain Dresser's horse was shot under him, while Captain Schwartz's horse was twice wounded; here the projectiles from the enemy's heavy guns at Columbus, and their artillery at Belmont crashed through the woods over and among us; here again, all my staff who were with me, displayed the greatest intrepidity and activity; and here, too, many of our officers were killed or wounded; nor shall I omit to add that this gallant conduct was stimulated by your presence and inspired by your example. Here your horse was killed under you. While this struggle was going on, a tremen dous fire from the Twenty-seventh, which had approached the abatis on the right and rear of the tents, was heard. About the same time the Seventh and Twenty-second, which had passed the rear of the Thirtieth and Thirty-first, hastened up, and, closing the space between them and the Twenty-seventh, poured a deadly fire upon the enemy. A combined movement was now made upon three sides of the enemy's works, and driving him across the abatis, we followed close upon his heels into the clear space around his camp. The Twenty-seventh was the first seen by me entering upon this ground. I called the attention of the other regiments to their approach, and the whole line was quickened by eager and impatient emulation. In a few minutes our entire force was within the enclosure. Under the skilful direction of Capt. Schwartz, Capt. Taylor now brought up his battery within three hundred yards of the enemy's tents, and opened fire upon them. He fled with precipitation from the tents, and took shelter behind some buildings near the river, and into the woods above the camp, under cover of his batteries at Columbus. Near this battery I met Colonel Dougherty, who was leading the Seventh and Twenty-second through the open space toward the tents. At the same time our lines upon the right and left were pressing up to the line of fire from our battery, which now ceased firing, and our men rushed forward among the tents and toward some buildings near the river. Passing over to the right of the camp I met with Colonel Buford, for the first time since his detour around the pond, and congratulated him upon the ardor of his men, to be the first to pass the enemy's works. During the execution of this movement, Captain Alexander Bielaski, one of my aides-decamp, who had accompanied Colonel Buford during the march of the 27th, separate from the main command, having dismounted from his horse, which had been several times wounded, was shot down while advancing with the flag of his adopted country in his hand, and calling on the men in his rear to follow him. Near him, and in a few minutes afterward, Colonel Lanmann fell, severely wounded in the thigh while leading his men in a desperate charge. Galloping my horse down to the river, I found Captain Bozart, of Company K, Twenty-seventh regiment, supported by squads of men who had joined him, sharply engaged with a detachment of the enemy, whom he drove into the woods above the camp. Here the firing was very hot. My own head was grazed by a ball, my horse was wounded in the shoulder and his caparison torn in several places. Here, too, one of the enemy's caissons fell into my hands, and a capture of artillery was made by Captain Schwartz, a portion of the Seventh gallantly assisting in achieving this result. Having complete possession of the enemy's camp in full view of his formidable batteries | at Columbus, I gave the word for three cheers for the Union, to which the brave men around me responded with the most enthusiastic applause. fired at me from the corner of a field. Captain Schwartz was at my right when these shots were fired. At this stage of the contest, according to the admission of rebel officers, the enemy's forces had swelled, by frequent reinforcements from the other side of the river, to over thirteen regiments of infantry, and something less than two squadrons of cavalry; excluding his artillery, four pieces of which were in our possession, and two of which, after being spiked, together with part of one of our caissons were left on the way for want of animals to bring them off. The other two, with their horses and harness, were brought off. On reaching the landing and not finding the which you had left behind in the morning to guard the boats, I ordered Delano's cavalry, which was embarking, to the rear of the field to watch the enemy. Within an hour all our forces which had arrived were embarked, Capt. Schwartz, Captain Hatch, Assistant Quartermaster, and myself being the last to get on board. Suddenly the enemy, in strong force, (whose approach had been discovered by Lieut.Col. John H. White, of the Thirty-first, who was conspicuous through the day for his dauntless courage and conduct,) came within range of our musketry, when a terrible fire was opened upon him by the gunboats, as well as by Taylor's battery and the infantry. Several of the enemy's steamers being within range above and below, I ordered a section of Taylor's battery, under the direction of Captain Schwartz, down near the river, and opened a fire upon them and upon Columbus itself, with what effect I could not learn. The enemy's tents were set on fire, destroying his camp equipage, about four thousand blankets, and his means of transportation. Such horses and other property as could be removed were seized, and four pieces of his artillery brought to the rear. The enemy at Columbus, seeing us in posses-detachments of the Seventh and Twenty-second, sion of his camp, directed upon us the fire of his heavy guns, but ranging too high inflicted no injury. Information came at the same time of the crossing of heavy bodies of troops above us, amounting, as I since learn, to five regiments, which, joining those which had fled in that direction, formed rapidly in our rear with the design of cutting off our communication with our transports. To prevent this, and having fully accomplished the object of the expedition, I ordered Captain Taylor to reverse his guns and open fire upon the enemy in his new position, which was done with great spirit and effect, breaking his line and opening our way by the main road. Promptly responding to an order to that effect, Col. Logan ordered his flag in front of The engagement thus renewed was kept up his regiment, prepared to force his way in the with great spirit, and with a deadly effect upon same direction if necessary. Moving on he was the enemy, until the transports had passed befollowed by the whole force, except the Twenty-yond his reach. Exposed to the terrible fire of seventh and the cavalry companies of Captains Dollins and Delano. Determined to preserve my command unbroken, and to defeat the evident design of the enemy to divide it, I twice rode back across the field to bring up the Twentyseventh and Dollins' cavalry, and also despatched Major Brayman for the same purpose, but without accomplishing the object; they having sought, in returning, the same route by which they advanced in the morning. On passing into the woods the Thirtieth, the Seventh, and Twenty-second encountered a heavy fire on their right and left successively, which was returned with such vigor and effect as to drive back the superior force of the enemy and silence his firing, but not until the Seventh and Twenty-second had been thrown into temporary disorder. Here Lieutenant-Colonel Wentz, of the Seventh, and Captain Markley, of the Thirtieth, with several privates were killed, and Colonel Dougherty, of the Twentysecond, and Major McClurken, of the Thirtieth, who was near me, were severely wounded. Here my body servant killed one of the enemy by a pistol shot. Driving the enemy back on either side, we moved on, occasionally exchanging shots with straggling parties, in the course of which my horse received another ball, being one of two the gunboats and Taylor's battery, a great number of the enemy were killed and wounded in this, the closing scene of a battle of six hours' duration, The Twenty-seventh and Dollins' cavalry being yet behind, I ordered my transport to continue in the rear of the fleet, excepting the gunboats; and after proceeding a short distance, landed and directed the gunboats to return and await their appearance. At this monent Lieut. H. A. Rust, Adjutant of the Twenty-seventh, hastened up and announced the approach of the Twenty-seventh and Dollins' cavalry. Accompanied by Capts. Schwartz and Hatch, I rode down the river bank and met Col. Buford with a part of his command. Inferring that my transport was waiting to receive him I went farther down the river, and met Capt. Dollins, whom I also instructed to embark, and still farther met the remainder of the Twenty-seventh, which had halted on the bank where the gunboat Tyler was lying to, the Lexington lying still farther down. The rest of the boats having gone forward, Capt. Walker, of the Tyler, at my request promptly took the remainder of the Twenty-seventh on board, Capt. Stamble, of the Lexington, covering the embarkation. Having thus embarked all my command, I |