| From the Augusta Constitutionalist |
| |
| July 23, 1864 |
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| Raid on the Montgomery & West Point
Railroad |
| The Columbus Sun of the 21st
contains the following account of the late raid on the Montgomery
& West Point Railroad: |
| From the best information that
our reporter could obtain -- who returned last evening from the front
-- the raiders most thoroughly did their work of destruction of the
superstructure of the Montgomery & West Point Railroad, from a
point near Chehaw to another some two or three miles east of Goelica,
and also of one and a half miles of the Columbus branch road. The
stringers and ties were piled first, the iron rails on top, fire
applied underneath, and as the rails became sufficiently heated other
means applied to aid in distorting them. The number of miles of road
thus destroyed is probably between thirty and thirty-five. |
| The raiders destroyed no
private property, so far as now known, and committed no robberies
excepting perhaps those of live stock and provisions. They destroyed
Government property wherever found. They said that they came solely
for the purpose of damaging the road and destroying Government
property. They also said that they came with the expectation of being
captured. This accounts for their having destroyed so much within the
short space of two days. |
| The raiders left the railroad
Tuesday evening, and the last news from them is that they passed
through Lafayette, Chambers county, Alabama, that night. It is
reported that Col. Lary, with a detachment of General Clanton's
Alabama brigade, was in pursuit of them; and also that a detachment of
Gen ___'s brigade, from West Point, is trying to intercept the
raiders. |
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