October 17, 1864.
I incline to think that the raid and pursuit are both over, though we wish that Sherman would follow them until they get the punishment they deserve for their impudence. They tore up some 20 miles of railroad, killed and wounded not over 750 for us, and captured about 1,100. Their loss in wounded and killed, whom we have buried, is 1,900; prisoners, that I know of, 600; besides a lot of deserters who have come in. Eight hundred of the prisoners captured by them were negroes, who could not have been taken but for the cowardice of their Colonel, Johnson.
The tearing up of the railroad amounts to nothing. We have not had our rations cut down an ounce in anything.
The man that run that raid ought to be ashamed of himself, and I’ll venture he is.
In Snake Creek Gap, but for General Stanley’s laziness, we would have got enough prisoners to make Hood howl. He rested his corps three hours, just as he did when entrusted with a critical piece of work at Jonesboro.
We have been having a gay time this morning. It is cold enough to make us sit close to the fire, and the negroes keep us in chestnuts.
