From North Alabama.
A correspondent from a member of the First Louisiana cavalry writes an interesting letter to the Mobile Tribune, which we copy:

We are at present encamped within a half mile of the Tennessee river, having been in the saddle for the last three weeks, scouting the country from Iuka, Miss., to the borders of Tennessee. During that time we have met the enemy in four different engagements, and we feel a thrill of pride in being able so state that on every occasion the impetuous valor of our gallant boys have sent them flying from the soil which they pollute with their presence.

The first fight occurred near Tuscumbia, in which Capt. Cannon with a hundred men, ten from each company, engaged a force of the enemy's cavalry and infantry, outnumbering him three to one, one morning about daylight as they were moving on towards Decatur.--They instantly drew up on seeing him and sent the hissing bullets in showers amongst our boys for a while, but were unable to withstand the fiery charge of Captain Cannon and his brave troopers, who broke and scattered them like chaff before the wind, killing a number of them without losing a single man himself, and rejoining the main body of the regiment the next day, bringing with him twenty- seven prisoners as trophies of his victory. Four of them were negroes, who, in a fit of gallantry, had thrown aside their plowshares to testify their devotion to Uncle Abe on the "tented field," three of whom Colonel Scott returned to their owner; the fourth one, a notorious villain, was taken to the battle field and hung.

After the attack of Capt. Cannon, the enemy retreated with such rapidity that they forgot to take their prisoners with them, and never stopped until they were safe on the cars, bound for Decatur, where they burnt the fine railroad bridge which spans the river at that place.

We rode leisurely along through the beautiful scenery of North Alabama, the people welcoming us with manifestations of delight, and hailing us as their deliverers from insult and outrage, in further quest of those gentry that thus make war upon the lovely ladies as well as the men of our beloved South.

On arriving at this place (Courtland) Col. Scott learned that there was a large number of the enemy at Athens, about thirty miles from here, and resolving to attack them, we crossed the river in flat-boats, on Wednesday, 30th April, and, traveling all night, the first beams of the morning sun found us within three miles of Athens.

Col. Scott sent forward an advance guard to attack the pickets and draw them out, throwing the rest of his men in line of battle. The advance guard consisted of some forty men, under Capt. Leake--his own company and a portion of the Morgan Rangers — and on getting within fifty yards of them Capt. Leake rung out the charge, and away we went, with the rapidity of lightning, right on them, the Yankees scattering to the right and left and firing volley after volley as they ran.

Capt. Leake then ordered us to return, and, in a short time, as was anticipated, here came the Lincoln cavalry, their bright bayonets glistening in the sun, breathing vengeance against the daring rebels who owned Col. Scott as their leader; but our Colonel, not at all dismayed by the formidable array, calmly ordered Lieut. Holmes to turn loose his howitzers on them, and with a storm of shot and shell we swept the woods of the cowardly miscreants.

We pursued them at a hard gallop into and through Athens. About fifty of the command, armed with shot guns and the howitzer battery, under Lieut.-Col. Nixon, pursued them seven miles on the Huntsville road. From time to time they ambuscaded us and made a stand, and on every occasion we dislodged them. We returned to Athens with the loss of one man killed and two wounded. On our way back we passed eighteen or twenty of their dead bodies.

At the same time that Col. Nixon was sent in pursuit with the shot guns, Capt. Cannon was placed in command of the Rifles, and sent to cut off a train of cars at Limestone, eighteen miles distant. He reached the place, and after a sharp fight whipped the guard, and tore up the railroad track before the arrival of the train, and when it came it piled up beautifully. He took twenty-one prisoners, including two Captains, and burned eleven card loaded with provisions, and returned to Athens without the loss of a man.

Col. Scott thought it best to recross the river, as we were short of ammunition and he anticipated an early attack, and sure enough the next day, when Col. Scott, our artillery, and more than half of the regiment, had crossed Elk river, a small stream three miles from the Tennessee, a picket came rushing up, announcing that a large body of Yankee cavalry were right on us. Lieut.-Col. Nixon immediately formed us into line, when they came, 250 strong, sweeping down on us in a gallant and magnificent charge through the open field; but our boys, cool and collected, waited until they got within 150 yards of them and then poured a deadly fire into them, emptying fifteen saddles of their riders, and the rest flying in disorder and confusion, their Colonel being mortally wounded.
Two of our boys were killed in the charge, both belonging to the Morgan Rangers. One of them, James Crawford, a brave, noble fellow, was formerly a pilot on Red river, and is well and favorably known in New Orleans.

Lieut.-Col. Nixon elicited the admiration of us all by his gallant and chivalric bearing both here and in Athens. Though he ordered us to dismount to receive the charge, he sat upon his horse, a conspicuous mark for the iron shower that poured around us, as cool and self-possessed as if he were at a festive gathering.

The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 26 May 1862