| From the Richmond Sentinel |
| |
| August 26, 1863 |
| |
| The following is taken from
the Mobile & Advertiser, of the 21st instant: |
| Okolona, Aug. 20 |
| A gentleman who left Grenada,
Monday, arrived this morning, bringing important intelligence from the
Central road. |
| Two large raids, one from
Yazoo City, the other from Memphis, were sent out for the purpose of
destroying the immense quantity of railroad stock accumulated at
Grenada. |
| Chalmers engaged the Memphis
column near Panola, and was defeated. He himself is missing, and
reported captured. |
| The Yazoo column reached
Grenada, and destroyed forty locomotives and a large number of
passenger and freight cars, the accumulated stock of the Mississippi
Central and New Orleans and Jackson {New
Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern } roads, sent there for
safety. |
| The raid from Corinth reached
Water Valley upon the same expedition about the same time the others
reached Grenada. |
| The damage inflicted is
incalculable and irreparable. |
| The force sent from here, and
that under Whitfield, had not encountered the enemy. It is scarcely
probable that they will escape without an engagement. |
| These facts are derived in the
main from Col. Fontaine, an officer of Chalmers' command. |
| All the raids appear to have
been started with the one view of destroying the railroad stock. It is
not probable that anything more will be attempted by this expedition. |
| I send the reports as they
reach me, and are currently believed. |