Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Stevenson, Ala., Wed., May 11, 1864.—I went to Tullahoma, as I wrote you, and saw and reported to General Paine (of Illinois). I was well acquainted with him before. I also met Colonel Given, of the 102d Ohio, an old acquaintance, you know.
While there we received dispatches from Nashville, which were sent to me there and here at the same time, that Roddey (a rebel guerilla, General, or Colonel, or something) had crossed the Tennessee river at Florence, near Tuscumbia, Ala., with 5,000 men. They do not know what he is after, nor where he intends to go. This notice was to keep us on the alert should he come this way, which is not expected. If he comes here we can whip him.
Well, I started back at 2:30 o’clock yesterday morning, but was stopped three miles out with the intelligence that the track had been torn up by guerillas three miles farther on. So we went back to Tullahoma and got some soldiers and went down there. We found that a few men on barefoot horses, evidently citizens residing near there, had torn a couple of rails loose, built a large fire on the track, and left. Owing to the detention I did not get back here until noon.
I intended to stop along the road and inspect the troops and works under my charge, but it rained all the morning, so I deferred the inspection to another day.
Last night we had a terrific storm of wind, rain, thunder and lightning, lasting half the night. Such a storm in these mountains, the lightning flashing around their summits, the thunder echoing, the wind howling through the gorges, and the torrents rushing down the mountain sides, is most sublime. But you know something of these southern thunder storms.
We are making strong fortifications here; and if the enemy will keep away for thirty days, I do not care how many such troops as Forrest, Roddey, and those fellows have, pitch into us. I have one good redoubt now, with six pieces of artillery in it.
Captain Norcross reports that his pickets were fired on last night, no one hurt. He is stationed about three miles from here. There were but two or three of the assailants, and they ran off when the sentinel, after discharging his musket, ran after them firing his revolver. There are a few desperadoes in the mountains west orf us, and it was doubtless some of them. The citizens say, ‘We are mighty proud to see you-uns back here.’ There is much distress amongst them, General Sherman having stopped the issuing of rations.
