January 31.—Colonel T. W. Higginson of the First South-Carolina colored volunteers, yesterday sent Captain Charles T. Trowbridge with a detachment of his regiment to examine the condition of the rebel salt-works on the coast of Georgia, and to-day the Captain made the following report of his operations:
“Colonel: In accordance with instructions, I proceeded yesterday in search of the salt-works supposed to be at King’s Bay. They have not been rebuilt since they were destroyed on a former expedition.
“Changing our course, we found salt-works about five miles up Crooked River, on the main road. After a march of two miles across the marsh, with thirty men, and drawing a boat to enable us to cross an intervening creek, we destroyed them. There were twenty-two large boilers, two store-houses, a large quantity of salt, two canoes, together with barrels, vats, etc., used in manufacturing the salt.”
—Early this morning the rebel iron-clad steamers Palmetto State and Chicora, accompanied by three small steamers, the General Clinch, Ettiwan, and Chesterfield, attacked the United States blockading fleet off Charleston, and disabled two of the vessels.—(Doc. 116.)
—This day while Kennett’s National cavalry were out on a scout from the vicinity of Nashville, Tenn., they unexpectedly came on Wheeler’s brigade of rebel cavalry while the latter were being paid off at Rover, a little village on the Shelbyville and Nolensville road, eighteen miles from the former town. A brief hand-to-hand sabre fight ensued, which terminated in the complete rout of the rebels, who left on the field twelve killed, about the same number of wounded, and lost three hundred prisoners. A few of the Union soldiers were wounded, but they did not lose a man.—Louisville Journal.
—The arrest of deserters in Morgan County, Indiana, being resisted, Colonel Carrington, commander of the National forces at Indianapolis, sent a squadron of cavalry to oppose the resistance. The cavalry were met and fired on by the mob, when they charged, dispersing the rioters and capturing six citizens and the deserters.— The Senate of the United States passed a resolution tendering a vote of thanks to Commander J. L. Worden, for good conduct in the fight between the Monitor and Merrimac, in March, 1862.— A body of National troops, under General Jeff. C. Davis, entered Shelbyville, Tenn.
