Adventure of Major Kiernan.
A paragraph telegraphed from Cairo, regarding the unjustifiable seizure by the rebels of a train of five ambulances, which had been out to bring in a number of Federal wounded, contained several inaccuracies. Major Kiernan (formerly surgeon of the Sixty-ninth New-York and Third regiment M. S.M.) has arrived here and gives the following particulars:Colonel Clark Wright, Sixth Missouri cavalry, was ordered out with three hundred men of the regiment, and four mounted howitzers, to recover them. He started on the sixth of May from Rock Spring, and passing through Port Gibson, reached on the same evening the place where the ambulances had been captured, which was at Oakland College, near Rodney. It was forty miles from Rock Spring, the startingpoint of the expedition. There they drove in the enemy's pickets and pursued them for some time. But ascertaining that the enemy, in much superior force, were about surrounding them, they immediately took about ten prominent citizens prisoners as hostages and retreated. The prisoners included Dr. William L. Breckinridge, the President of the college, and his two sons. One of these was John Breckinridge, who a few years ago had a duel with one Leavenworth, of New-York, in Canada, whom he wounded, and at a later time, while editing the Courier in New-Orleans, had another duel with Nixon, the editor of the Crescent, and in which Breckinridge was wounded.
The detachment then fell back toward Port Gibsor with the prisoners, traversing a broken country in the night, and skirmishing with the enemy all the way About ten o'clock Major Kiernan, of Wright's regiment, was severely wounded in the shoulder and thrown from his horse. At two A. M. they reached Port Gibson. They held possession at ten A. M., when they ascertained that the enemy were about surrounding the town. The place being indefensible, Colonel Wright fell back to a hill beyond Bayou Pierre, two miles south of the town, toward the Federal army. About an hour after his departure the rebel cavalry dashed into town and captured Major Kiernan's orderly and nurse, and his horse and accoutrements. They offered a parole, which he declined. Skirmishing between [20] Colonel Wright's command and the rebels (then in possession of the town) was kept up for some time, when both retired in opposite directions. That night the rebel cavalry again entered Port. Gibson. The Major was a second time offered a parole, which was again declined. He.was very kindly attended by a confederate surgeon. On the sixteenth ult., about daylight, from the open window of his room at the hotel, he heard a conversation between a rebel officer and a citizen, to the effect that about ten thousand rebels were concentrating at Port Gibson for the purpose of capturing trains going from Grand Gulf to Grant's army. A large commissary train, to leave the following day, of which they had heard through spies, was a particular object in view.
Roused by this information, he got up, and guided by further information given by negroes who were preparing to flee themselves, he went through back gardens unobserved and reached the brush. He crossed Bayou Pierre on a log, and at last reached Grand Gulf, eight miles distant. He was completely exhausted, and fainted on arriving there. He gave information of the designs of the rebels and it was forwarded to General Grant, thereby saving, probably, a most valuable train from the hands of the enemy. Major Kiernan has been warmly recommended by high officials of the army of the Tennessee and department of the Missouri to the President for promotion. Governor Gamble, Generals Grant, Blair, Schofield, Hurlbut, Sullivan, and half a dozen others of rank, bear testimony to the gallantry of his services, and unite in asking the Government to recognize them by his advancement.
Rev. Mr. Breckinridge, when taken to General Grant's headquarters, had an interview with that officer, which resulted in the unconditional release of himself and sons. Permission was also given him to return to Oakland, take the female members of his family and remove them to Kentucky, or to any place in the North he pleased. Mr. Breckinridge has never been a supporter of the rebellion, and he has remained South during the war wholly on account of his inability to get away with his family.
