Success of Gen. Roddy
--Capture of Athens.--The Yankee papers brought intelligence of Gen Roddy's being driven out of Tennessee, with the loss of a good many cattle. So far from this being true he last week captured the town of Athens.--The Dalton (Ga.) Confederate, of the 2d inst., has the following account of his movements:‘ Two members of Roddy's command, who arrived here yesterday, bring us the news of the capture of Athens, Ala., by Brig. Gen. Roddy. They are direct from Tuscumbia, and obtained their information from a Lieutenant of the command, whom they fell in with on their way here. Gen. Roddy contemplated moving on Athens in two columns. He sent Johnson's cavalry regiment and a battalion of cavalry not yet organized across the Tennessee below Florence, to move up the river on the north side, while the General himself, with about 350 cavalry of Hannan's regiment and Moreland's battalion, proceeded up the river on the south side to Brown's Ferry, about 16 miles from Athens. He dismounted his men at the ferry, crossed on flat boats, and marched on foot to Athens. Several hundred men, who were garrisoning the town, after a slight skirmish fled, leaving Roddy in possession of the town. He captured about thirty prisoners, over a hundred horses and mules, and a considerable quantity of quartermaster, commissary, and sutler stores, and destroyed all the enemy's tents and winter quarters. His men helped themselves to such stores as they wanted and could conveniently take off with them but destroyed only a part of the stores, because they could not remove them from the buildings, and could not fire them without risking the destruction of the town. Roddy remained in town about an hour, and then left, recrossing the river with his prisoners, horses, &c. His loss is reported to be two killed and five wounded--the Yankee loss, 4 or 5 killed, and about double as many wounded.
’ The force under Col. Johnson reached Bainbridge on the river, a few miles above Florence, and there encountered the enemy, about 600 or 800 strong, under Col. Phillips, who was in command at Athens, and was out on an expedition toward Florence. It was understood that some skirmishing occurred, but the result was not known by our informants. Colonel Johnson was, however, prevented from co-operating with Gen. Roddy. If he could have done so, there is little doubt that the whole garrison at Athens at the time would have been captured.
All things considered — the smallness of his command — the dismounting of cavalry and marching them sixteen miles on foot to attack a garrison of equal or greater numbers, and the successful results of the expedition — it was a brilliant affair, and Gen. Roddy and command deserves great credit for the courage and energy displayed.
