to cut the telegraph wires on the Southern railroad between Lake Station
and Jackson, was met by the enemy, and questioned as to the whereabouts
of Grierson’s men. The rebels were then on the direct road to the camp,
and not more than fourteen miles distant; but the scout, with admirable
self-possession, parried their questions, and succeeded in misleading
them as to the position of the Union troops, and then escaped and
hastened back to camp in time to give information of the enemy’s
proximity. Colonel Grierson immediately moved his men across Leaf river,
and destroyed the bridge to prevent the rebels following and attacking
him in the rear. They then marched on to Westville, and swam their
horses across Reaul river, at a point ten miles from Westville. The
advance, under Colonel Prince, had by this time reached Hazlehurst
station, where they captured a train of forty cars,—four of which were
filled with shell and ammunition, and the remainder with commissary
stores. As the march continued, the cavalry came upon a team carrying a
32-pound Parrot gun, which was then on its way to Fort Gibson. The piece
was captured and spiked. Two detachments from the main body had been
doing serious damage to the rebels, burning cars, water tanks, and a
great deal of other property.
At early dawn on the 28th, the advance moved upon Brookhaven, and
entered the town so suddenly that two hundred rebels were taken
prisoners, before they had recovered from their surprise at finding
themselves confronted with Union soldiers. At Gallatin a camp of
instruction, said to have been one of the most beautiful and extensive
in the State, was utterly destroyed. After leaving Gallatin, the Union
cavalry encountered a rebel cavalry force under Colonel Garland, and a
skirmish occurred, in which the enemy suffered severely in killed,
wounded, and prisoners. Two clever feints, menacing Port Gibson and
Natchez, deceived the enemy again, and the main body marched straight
forward to Brookhaven, which was already occupied by Colonel Grierson’s
advance.
On the 30th, the whole force left Brookhaven, and proceeded to Bogue
Cluto Station, destroying every bridge on the way. At the station,
fifteen freight cars, which were standing on the track, partially
loaded, were fired, and utterly destroyed. From that point to Summit a
rapid march was performed, and there twenty-five freight cars were
reduced to ashes. Information was sent to Colonel Grierson that a
regiment of rebel cavalry was rapidly moving toward Wassitta, and they
were discovered at Wall’s bridge on the Tickfaw, by a detachment of
Union cavalry, who dashed in upon them, and killing and wounding a large
number, put the rest to flight. Colonel Grierson’s loss was one killed
and five wounded.
The march again continued, at first east of the Tickfaw, and then
changing again continued directly south, marching through woods, lanes
and by-roads, and struck a road which led directly from Clinton to
Osyka. There the cavalry came most unexpectedly upon the Ninth Tennessee
cavalry regiment, which was posted in a strong defile guarding the
bridges across the Tickfaw river. A sharp skirmish ensued, in which the
enemy’s pickets were captured, and the regiment driven back with great
loss. The cavalry then crossed the river at Edward’s bridge, where they
were met by Garland’s rebel cavalry, which they put to flight with a
single battalion of the Sixth Illinois, and two guns of the battery,
without even halting the column. It was clearly perceived now that the
rebels were sending out forces in all directions to intercept the march
of Colonel Grierson’s troops.
At midnight the Amite river was crossed, over which there was but one
bridge; and the National troops were just in time to escape a heavy
column of infantry and artillery which had been sent to intercept them.
They moved on to Sandy creek, where Hughes’ cavalry, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Wilburn, were encamped, and reached that point at
dawn of day. The rebel camp, completely surprised, was in no condition
to make a successful resistance, and a large number of the enemy were
taken prisoners; the camp, consisting of one hundred and fifty tents,
was destroyed, together with a great quantity of ammunition, guns,
public and private stores, books, papers, and public documents. A large
number of horses were captured also; and the cavalry then took the road
to Baton Rouge, and on the way surprised Stuart’s cavalry at Commite
river, and took prisoner forty men with their arms and horses.
On the morning of the 1st of May, the commander at Baton Rouge was
startled by the intelligence of the close proximity of Grierson’s
cavalry, and sent out two companies under Captain Godfrey, to meet and
welcome them. The troops entered the city at three o’clock in the
afternoon, amid cheers and shouts of welcome that rent the air, and
echoed along the hills toward Port Hudson. Thus in less than sixteen
days this heroic cavalry force had marched over six hundred miles, over
marshes and rivers, endangering their lives for whole days at every mile
they traversed. The last twenty-eight hours’ march was performed without
either rest or food to men or horses. The loss to Colonel Grierson’s
command during the whole journey was three killed, seven wounded, five
sick and left upon the route, and nine men missing. Of the enemy, over
one hundred were killed and wounded; five hundred taken prisoners (many
of them officers); from fifty to sixty miles of railroad and telegraph
wire destroyed, and three thousand stand of arms, together with army
stores and government property, captured and destroyed—making in all a
loss to the rebels of over three million dollars.
BATTLE OF RAYMOND, MISS.
MAY 12, 1863.
On Thursday, May 7th, General McPherson moved his corps to Rocky Spring,
and his camp was occupied next day by General Sherman. On Saturday
McPherson again moved to the eastward, to the village of Utica, crossing
the road occupied by McClernand, and leaving the latter on his left. On
Sunday morning McClernand marched to Five Mile creek, and encamped on
the south bank at noon, on account of broken bridges, which were
repaired the same day. Monday morning Sherman’s corps came up, passed
McClernand’s, and encamped that night at the village of Auburn, about
ten miles south of Edwards’ Station, on the railroad from Vicksburg to
Jackson. As soon as it passed, McClernand’s corps followed a few miles,
and then took a road going obliquely to the left, leading to Hall’s
Ferry, on the Big Black river. Thus, on Monday evening General
McClernand was at Hall’s Ferry; General Sherman was at Auburn, six or
eight miles to the northeast, and General McPherson was about eight
miles still further to the northeast, a few miles north of Utica. The
whole formed an immense line of battle, Sherman’s corps being in the
centre, with those of McPherson and McClernand forming the right and
left wings. From Grand Gulf the army marched westward, but, by these
last movements, swung on the left as a pivot, and fronted nearly
northward.
[Illustration: UNION HEROES MARCY. HARNEY. MITCHELL. MILROY. AUGUR.]
Up to this the enemy had not appeared on the line of march. On Tuesday
morning General McClernand’s advance drove in the enemy’s pickets near
Hall’s Ferry, and brisk skirmishing ensued for an hour or two, with
little loss to either side. By noon the rebels had disappeared from his
front, and seven wounded and none killed was the total Union loss.
General Sherman put Steele’s division in motion early in the morning,
and came upon the enemy at the crossing of Fourteen Mile creek four
miles from Auburn. The cavalry advance was fired into from the thick
woods that skirt the stream, but was unable, owing to the nature of the
ground, to make a charge or clear the rebels from their position.
Landgraber’s battery was thrown to the front, supported by the
Seventeenth Missouri and Thirty-first Iowa infantry regiments, and threw
a few shell into the bushy undergrowth skirting the stream which gave
them cover. Skirmishers were thrown out, and advanced to the creek,
driving the enemy slowly. A brigade was thrown to the right and left
flanks, when the rebel forces, mainly cavalry, withdrew toward Raymond.
The bridge was burned during the skirmish, but a crossing was
constructed in two hours, and trains were passing before noon.
But the principal opposition to the line of march was in the front of
General McPherson. General Logan’s division came upon a body of rebel
troops, estimated at about ten thousand, posted on Fondren’s creek, two
miles southwest of this, at ten o’clock on Tuesday morning. Brisk
skirmishing began at once, and a general engagement was soon brought on.
The enemy (as in front of General Sherman), was almost wholly concealed
at first by the woods bordering the stream, behind which their forces
were posted. Their artillery was on an eminence that commanded our
approach. The Federal troops had to cross an open field, exposed to a
terrible fire. The First and Second brigades, commanded by General J. E.
Smith, and General Fennis (both Illinois regiments), were in the
thickest of the fight, and suffered most. After three hours’ hard
fighting, the enemy withdrew sullenly in two columns, the principal one
taking the road to Jackson. The Federal loss, in killed, wounded, and
missing, was about three hundred. The rebel loss was much greater.
CAPTURE OF JACKSON, MISS.
MAY 14, 1863.
On the 13th, General McPherson moved to Clinton, and destroyed the
railroads and telegraph. General Sherman moved to a parallel position on
the Mississippi Springs and Jackson road, and General McClernand to a
point near Raymond.
On the 14th General McPherson and General Sherman each advanced from his
respective position toward Jackson. The rain had fallen in torrents
during the night before, and it continued to fall until about noon, thus
making the roads at first slippery and then miry. Nevertheless, the
troops marched in excellent order and spirits about fourteen miles, when
they came upon the enemy. The main body of their force in Jackson had
marched out on the Clinton road, and encountered General McPherson about
two and a half miles from the city. A small force of artillery and
infantry also took a strong position in front of General Sherman, about
the same distance out from Jackson.
On the march of General McPherson from Clinton toward Jackson, General
Crocker’s division held the advance. All was quiet until he reached a
hill overlooking a broad open field, through the centre of which and
over the crest of the hill beyond, the road to Jackson passed. On the
left of this latter hill the enemy had posted his artillery, and along
the crest his line of battle. As the Federal force came within range,
the artillery of the enemy opened fire. The battery of the First
Missouri was moved to the left of a cotton gin in the open field, and
returned the fire for nearly an hour, when the guns of the enemy were
withdrawn. Meantime, General Crocker had thrown out two brigades to the
right and left of his battery, supported by another brigade at a proper
distance, and had also pushed forward a strong line of skirmishers, and
posted them in a ravine in front, which protected them from the fire of
the enemy. After a little delay they were again advanced out of cover,
and a desultory fire ensued between the opposite line of skirmishers, in
which the enemy, owing to the nature of the ground, had the advantage.
At length General Crocker, seeing the necessity of driving the rebels
from the crest of the hill, ordered a charge along the line.
With colors flying, and with a step as measured and unbroken as if on
dress parade, the movement was executed. Slowly they advanced, crossed
the narrow ravine, and, with fixed bayonets, reached the crest of the
hill in easy range of the rebel line. Here they received a tremendous
volley, which caused painful gaps in their ranks. They held their fire
until they were within a distance of thirty paces, when they delivered
the returning volley with fearful effect, and, without waiting to reload
their muskets, with a terrific yell, they rushed upon the staggered foe.
Over the fences, through the brushwood into the enclosure, they worked
their way, slaughtering on the right and left without mercy. The enemy,
astonished at their impetuosity, wavered and fell back, rallied again,
and finally broke in wild confusion. They finally retreated north, but
without further damage.
When General Sherman encountered the enemy, he discovered their weakness
by sending a reconnoitering party to his right, which had the effect of
causing them to retreat from that part of their line. A few
artillerists, however, remained in their places, firing upon General
Sherman’s troops until the last moment.
At this time General McClernand occupied Clinton with one division,
Mississippi Springs with another, Raymond with a third, and his fourth
division and General Blair’s division of General Sherman’s corps were
with a wagon train, still in the rear, near Auburn. At the same time
General McArthur, with one brigade of his division of General
McPherson’s corps, was moving toward Raymond on the Utica road. It was
not the intention of General Grant to move these forces any nearer
Jackson, but to have them in a position where they could be in
supporting distance if the resistance at Jackson should prove more
obstinate than there seemed any reason to expect.
On the retreat of the enemy, General McPherson followed directly into
the city of Jackson. A fine battery of six pieces was found, and around
the Deaf and Dumb Institute, which was used as a hospital, tents enough
were seized to encamp an entire division. The commissary and
quartermaster’s stores were in flames. The Governor and State Treasurer
had withdrawn, taking the State funds and papers. All citizens
officially connected with the State or Confederate Governments had also
left. Many soldiers remained, besides a large number in the hospital.
Early on the morning of the day following the occupation of the city of
Jackson it was decided to evacuate the position. There were several
reasons which induced General Grant to arrive at this decision,
prominent among which was the difficulty of keeping intact his long line
of communication, and the fear that General Johnston—who was known to be
hovering in the region north of Jackson with a force estimated at twenty
thousand men—would attack his rear. The force which he encountered just
before reaching Jackson, under General Gregg, had divided, one portion
going to Canton from the north, and the other from the south. Johnston
and Gregg combined might prove altogether too formidable. It was
therefore decided to return to Clinton and move upon Vicksburg.
The main column of the enemy was at Edwards’ Station, proposing to give
battle there. Soon after daylight the column was in motion, General
McPherson in advance. They reached Clinton at noon, and after an hour’s
delay marched to their camping ground, a short distance from the village
of Bolton.
The programme of the advance was arranged by General Grant and General
McClernand as follows:—Extreme left, General Smith, supported by General
Blair; on the right of General Smith, General Osterhaus, supported by
General Carr; General Hovey in the centre, with McPherson on the extreme
right, and Crocker as reserve. In this order the advance was made;
General McClernand’s corps, with the exception of General Hovey’s
division, reaching the position by way of the several roads leading from
Raymond to Edward’s Station.
On the evening of the 15th, General McClernand heard that the enemy was
advancing from Edwards’ Station to Raymond, and quickly placed his
troops in order of battle to repel the anticipated attack. Extensive
reconnoissances revealed the fact, however, that he was merely feeling
his position and force, and that no attack need be expected that day.
At nine in the morning, General Osterhaus took possession of Bolton,
capturing a rebel mail and several prisoners. General McClernand placed
his army in camp early in the evening, and by daylight the following day
each division occupied the ground selected, and prepared to offer
battle.
BATTLE OF BAKER’S CREEK, OF CHAMPION HILL, MISS.
MAY 16, 1863.
Early this morning General McClernand’s corps was put in motion. General
Hovey’s division was on the main road from Jackson to Vicksburg, but the
balance of the corps was a few miles to the south. General Ward was on a
parallel road, and General McPherson’s corps followed Hovey’s division
closely.
The enemy’s first demonstration was upon the Union extreme left, which
they attempted to turn. This attempt was most gallantly repulsed by
General Smith, commanding the left wing. At seven o’clock the
skirmishers were actively engaged; and as the enemy sought the cover of
the forest the Union artillery fire was opened, which continued without
intermission for two hours. At this time General Ransom’s brigade
marched on the field, and took up a position as reserve behind General
Carr.
At nine o’clock General Hovey discovered the enemy in front on Champion
Hill, to the left of the road, near Baker’s creek, apparently in force.
Skirmishers were thrown out, and the division advanced cautiously and
slowly to give General McPherson’s advance division under General Logan
time to come within supporting distance. General Hovey’s division
advanced across the other field at the foot of Champion Hill in line of
battle.
At eleven o’clock the battle commenced. The hill itself was covered with
timber, and is, in fact, but an abrupt terminus of a high ridge, running
north and south, flanked on both sides by deep ravines and gulleys, and
in many places covered with an impenetrable growth of scrubby white oak
brush. The rebels appeared deficient in artillery throughout the battle,
but opened with rather a heavy fire from a four-gun battery of rifled
six-pounders, planted about four hundred yards back from the brow of the
hill. The woods on both sides of the road leading up the face of the
hill, and winding back on the ridge a mile or more, were filled with
sharpshooters, supported by infantry. Here the battle began just as the
Federals entered the edge of the timber, and raged terribly from eleven
till between three and four o’clock.
The battle raged fearfully along the entire line, the evident intention
of the enemy being to mass his forces upon Hovey on the centre. There
the fight was most earnest; but General McPherson brought his forces
into the field, and after four hours’ hard fighting the tide of battle
was turned, and the enemy forced to retire.
Disappointed in his movements upon the Union right, he turned his
attention to the left of Hovey’s division, where Colonel Slack commanded
a brigade of Indianians. Massing his forces here he hurled them against
the opposing columns with irresistible impetuosity, and forced them to
fall back; not, however, until at least one quarter of the troops
comprising the brigade were either killed or wounded. Taking a new
position, and receiving fresh reinforcements, the Federals again
attempted to stem the tide, this time with eminent success. The enemy
were beaten back, and compelled to seek the cover of the forest in their
rear. Following up their advantage, without waiting to reform, the
soldiers of the Western army fixed their bayonets and charged into the
woods after them. The enemy were seized with an uncontrollable panic and
thought only of escape. In this terrible charge men were slaughtered
without mercy. The ground was literally covered with the dead and dying.
The enemy scattered in every direction, and fled through the fields to
reach the column now moving to the west along the Vicksburg road.
General Hovey’s division carried the heights in gallant style, and,
making a dash on the first battery, drove the gunners from their posts,
and captured the pieces. The rebels lay thick in the vicinity of the
guns. Their horses were more than half killed, their gun carriages and
caissons broken, and knapsacks, blankets, small arms and other debris,
attested the deadly struggle. The colors of the Thirty-first Alabama
regiment were captured there.
At this juncture Mitchell’s Ohio battery was opened at about eighty
yards from the brow of the hill. The rebels made a dash for it; but the
fleetness of the horses prevented its capture. At the same time the
rebels appeared with fresh troops on that wing, and redoubled their
efforts to hold their position and dislodge the Federals on the hill.
Hovey was slowly driven back to the brow; but a brigade from General
Quimby was ordered to his support, and the ground was speedily recovered
and the rebels finally repulsed.
At the commencement of the engagement General Logan’s division marched
past the brow of the hill, and, forming in line of battle on the right
of Hovey, advanced in grand style, sweeping everything before them. At
the edge of the wood in front of Logan the battle was most desperate.
Not a man flinched nor a line wavered in this division. All behaved like
veterans, and moved to new positions with a conscious tread of victory.
Two batteries were captured by this division, and enough hard fighting
done to establish its fame. They also captured a large portion of the
prisoners, small arms, &c.
Between three and four o’clock General Osterhaus and General McArthur’s
divisions came into action on the extreme left, and completed what had
been so auspiciously carried forward. They were both miles away when the
engagement began, but were brought forward with all dispatch possible.
The enemy were in full retreat.
The battle ended, the left was speedily advanced upon the Vicksburg
road, driving the enemy rapidly before them, and picking up as they
advanced large numbers of prisoners and guns.
On the left of the road were seen large squads of rebel soldiers, cut
off from the main column, who engaged at intervals with artillery. One
of these was under the command of Major-General Tilghman, who was struck
by a shell from a Federal battery and instantly killed while in the act
of sighting a gun. The Federal loss in this battle amounted to three
thousand in killed and wounded; while that of the rebels approximated
two thousand five hundred in killed and wounded and three thousand
prisoners.
Major-General Lloyd Tilghman, of the rebel army, was a native of
Maryland, and nearly fifty years of age. He was appointed to West Point
Military Academy as a cadet in 1831, and graduated on the 30th of June,
1836, standing last but three in a class of forty-nine members. On the
1st of July, 1836, he was breveted a second lieutenant of the First
dragoons, rather a high brevet for an officer occupying so low a grade
in the Academy; but when we consider who were the appointing officers at
that time, and the position the same men held in the war, our readers
need not wonder at the appointment. Three days after that date he
received his full commission and after being in the army for three
months he resigned, plainly showing that he merely wished to gain a
military education at the expense of the United States government, for
which he gave nothing in return but rebellion. During the remainder of
1836 and the subsequent year he was appointed to the lucrative position
of division engineer of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, followed
immediately by that of assistant engineer in the survey of the Norfolk
and Wilmington Canal of Virginia. He was next appointed (1838–9)
assistant engineer of the Eastern Shore Railroad of Maryland, and in
1839–40 of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. During 1840 he was also
engaged in the survey of the public improvements of Baltimore.
For the next few years he held no important public position; but the
Mexican war again brought him into notoriety. He first served as
volunteer aid to General Twiggs in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca
de la Palma, Texas, May, 1846, and doubtless here learned some of his
early military lessons.
Orders were now sent back to General Sherman to turn his corps toward
Bridgeport, and General Blair was expected to join him at that place.
Bridgeport was on the Black river, and some miles north of the railroad.
By crossing the river at that point, General Sherman would be on the
flank of the enemy, if they made a stand at the railroad crossing of the
river.
BATTLE OF BIG BLACK BRIDGE, MISS.
MAY 17, 1863.
The battle of Big Black Bridge was fought on Sunday, the 17th, the day
after the battle of Champion’s Hill. In this spirited engagement only
the Thirteenth army corps was engaged. In the morning, after a bivouac
on the hill overlooking the village of Edwards’ Station, the column,
with McClernand at its head, moved towards Black river bridge.