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Cu. XXIV.]

GUERRILLA BANDS AND DOINGS.

varying according to their good or ill fortune. On the 28th of July, Porter and Cobb were defeated in Calloway County, on the Missouri River; but three days after, Porter captured Newark and two companies of Union troops. Porter's band was pursued by our cavalry, almost without intermission for twelve days, and driven hundreds of miles. On the 6th of August, he was attacked by Col. McNeil, at Kirkville. After a severe battle Porter was completely routed; some 700 were killed and wounded; and his influence and further power for mischief broken

up.

Poindexter's gang had increased to about 1,200 men before a sufficient force could be collected to disperse them. Early in August, Col. Guitar, with about 600 men, and two pieces of artillery, started in pursuit of the guerrilla captain, overtaking and attacking him while crossing the Chartain River, on the night of August 10th. A large number were killed, wounded and drowned; and a considerable amount of supplies was captured. Poindexter hastened northwardly to effect a junction with Porter, but was driven back; his men were dispersed, and he was routed by Guitar and taken prisoner.

The rebel bands having been thus disposed of, that under Cobb soon after dispersed, or formed itself into small parties to continue the plundering and murdering of loyal men. It was a work of time effectually to put down these lawless bandits; but after a while, the activity and zeal of the troops and citizens of Missouri succeeded in hunt

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ing them down, and either killing, cap turing, or driving them out of the state. From April 1st to September 20th, as Schofield stated, there were more than 100 engagements, large and small, and in nearly all these the Union troops were victorious. The entire loss was about 300; the number of rebels killed, wounded, captured and driven out was not less than 10,000.

On the 11th of August, the garrison at Independence was compelled to surrender to a body of the enemy; and immediately after, the rebel Gen. Coffee, was found to be advancing with about 1,500 cavalry. Major Foster, with 800 men and two pieces of artillery, set out from Lexington to effect a junction with Col. Warren, in command of 1,500 men from Clinton. The intention was to attack Hughes and Quantrel, who had gathered a large force; but Foster, disappointed in effecting the junction with Warren, ventured an attack upon Coffee and Hughes at Lone Jack, Jackson County. After a severe conflict our men fell back to Lexington. Gen. Blunt, in Kansas, having furnished timely aid, Coffee and the rebels were pursued to the Arkansas line.

The rebels, however, were strong in Arkansas, numbering, in September, about 50,000, under Hindman. Schofield took the field in person, and concentrating a large force at Springfield, called on Steele, at Helena, to 1862. co-operate with him. Curtis took charge of the department at the end of September, Schofield retaining command of the "army of the frontier," as it was called, in Southern Missouri. Schofield's force numbered about

bered some 20,000, and the battle was severe and bloody. Blunt came up in the afternoon, and attacking the enemy

11,000 in all, with sixteen pieces of artillery. On the 30th of September, Gen. Salomon, with some 4,500 troops, was defeated at Newtonia. Schofield in the rear, they were finally driven now hurried to Sarcoxie, and being into flight across the mountains. Just joined by Blunt, October 3d, advanced at the close of the year, Blunt defeated against the rebels at Newtonia. Blunt, the rebels at Van Buren, on the Arkan on the 22d, came upon Cooper in camp sas River, and put an effectual stop to at old Fort Wayne, and routed him Hindman's contemplated advance upon completely. Schofield, with Herron's Missouri. command, marched over the White River Mountains, but found the rebels running away. Schofield resigned his command in November.*

A month later the contest was resumed in North-western Arkansas. Blunt, on the 27th of November, set out with 5,000 men and thirty pieces of artillery, to attack Marmaduke, at Cane Hill, whose force was some 8,000 in number. By a very rapid and unceasing march he came up with the enemy, and opened the attack upon their position on one of the heights of the Boston Mountains. Marmaduke was glad to make a retreat towards Van Buren, and Blunt returned to Cane Hill. Herron was now advancing from Missouri, with about 6,500 men and twenty-four pieces of artillery, to join Blunt. Hindman, the rebel commander, attacked Herron, December 7th, on Crawford's Prairie, not far from Fayetteville. The rebels num

"The fearful story of the Palmyra massacre," as Pollard calls it, may here be noted. It appears that McNeil, on the ground of the guerrillas having carried off a citizen of Palmyra, and refused to restore

him, gave notice, October 8th, that, within ten days,

ne would shoot ten of their number. This he did, and his act was justified by many, as the only way in which

to deal with ruffians of their class. Davis was fierce

in denunciation, but reserved his vengeance, much to

Pollard's disgust, to a later season.

The Indian tribes on the remote frontier gave much trouble in 1862. and the Sioux, under Little Crow, perpetrated a horrible massacre in Minne sota, during the month of August. Steps were taken immediately to punish these wretches; and after a month's pursuit of them, Col. Sibley routed them, September 23d, near Yellow Medicine River. About 500 prisoners were taken, and

being tried by courtmartial, 300 were sentenced to be ex ecuted; but the president reduced the number to thirty-nine, who were hung on a single scaffold, at Manhato, Minne sota, December 26th.

At the close of the year 1862, active operations were resumed against Vicks burg (see p. 189). While Gen. Grant was with his army in Northern Mississippi, having his headquarters at Holly Springs, Gen. Wm. T. Sherman, who was in command of the army corps or. the Mississippi, collected a large num ber of transports at Memphis, with reference to a movement against Vicks burg. Having embarked his forces here and at Helena, in number, it was stated, some 40,000 men, Sherman entered the Yazoo, December 26th, and effected a landing a few miles above the mouth on the left bank, about six

Cit. XXIV.]

ATTACK ON HAINES' BLUFF.

miles from Vicksburg. Above and below the city, from Haines' Bluff on the Yazoo to Warrenton on the Mississippi, there was a line of hills, which with the swamps and lagoons in front afforded the rebels an excellent means of defence. Sherman sent out reconnoitring parties, who speedily ascertained and reported that, owing to its advantage of position and the defences provided by the enemy, any attempt to take Vicksburg from this direction, that is, in the rear, would be attended with very great difficulty. At the outset, the fleet was hindered in its endea vors to ascend the Yazoo, by a formidable battery at Haine's Bluff, to silence which it would be necessary to make a fresh attack upon it from the river, preparatory to an advance of the army in front.

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occupied the whole of the 26th of December, and it did not reach the scene of operations until the morning of the 27th. Blair's brigade and Morgan's division, meanwhile, had advanced on the left by different routes, and came into position nearly side by side. A masked battery of the enemy was soon silenced, and the soldiers bivouacked on the field, ready to renew the attack in the morning.

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· During the night, the rebels were busily occupied in strengthening their position by rifle pits, breastworks, etc.; and early on Sunday morning, December 28th, they began a heavy cannonade upon Blair's and Morgan's troops. The conflict having been renewed in the front, the enemy were driven across the Chickasaw Bayou, and our troops by night were in position south of the This occurred on the morning of De- bayou, with one bridge completed and cember 27th. The entire force of Sher- two others partly constructed. Steele, man was drawn up in line of battle, as above stated, had pushed forward and prepared to make the assault at his command; but after three most different points. Gen. M. L. Smith's vigorous attempts to get at the enemy division took the advance, and, moving by the only means of approach-a rapidly, encountered the rebels about narrow lane or causeway-exposed to a mile from Chickasaw Bayou, which the full fire of the rebel artillery, he empties into the Mississippi. Severe gave it up, and by Sherman's orders skirmishing followed; but, though the returned to the river, landed on rebels, protected by rifle pits and abat- the lower side of the Chickatis, contested every inch of the road, saw, and held the extreme left, acting they were slowly pushed backward as a reserve. Blair's brigade took positoward the bayou. A portion of Gen. tion on Morgan's right, and at the exSteele's division had, the evening be- treme right was A. J. Smith's division. fore, landed above the bayou, for the At daylight on the 29th, the enemy's purpose of taking a battery in the rear, batteries began to fire on Morgan's which commanded the point of cross-position, but with little effect, although ing on the extreme right. Owing to the cannonade was kept up during the the mud and other difficulties, the land- forenoon. The plan was, after throwing of this portion of Steele's divisioning bridges across the bayou, to make

VOL. IV -32

1862.

trial.

a concerted assault on the bluffs. examination, was given up without a Blair's brigade had crossed the bayou before it turned along the bluffs, and As it was part of the original plan was in a position at the front of the of attack upon Vicksburg, that Grant hill, with a small abattis and a deep should assail the place in the rear while ditch between it and the point intend- Sherman was making the attack in ed to be assailed. Sherman not having front, and as Grant was unable to fulfil appointed any hour for the assault, his part, in consequence of his comMorgan acted on his own responsibility, munications being cut off, it was not and ordered Blair to advance. After surprising that Sherman failed in capa severe struggle, the rebels were driven turing this important stronghold. Pos from their first line of rifle pits, and a sibly, with Grant's co-operation, the charge having been made upon the plan might have been successfully second line, the rebels were again rout- carried out; but, under existing cir ed and driven into a thicket or grove cumstances, Sherman resolved to withof willows. Our men, in a hand to draw, and on Thursday night, January hand conflict, drove them from the 1st, 1863, and the next morning, the thicket, and took possession of it, but troops were embarked and moved down were in turn forced to retire from the to the mouth of the Yazoo. 'The enheavy cannonade of the batteries on tire loss in killed, wounded, and missthe hill. ing was reported at nearly 2,000. Gen. McClernand met Sherman at the mouth of the river, assumed the command, and ordered the forces to Milliken's Bend, about twelve miles up the Mississippi.

On the 4th of January, 1863, Sherman issued an order, announcing some changes in the army arrangements, and giving the troops high praise for the good service they had rendered and the manly spirit which they always displayed.

After suffering terrible loss in the effort to gain the crest of the hill, Blair deemed it best to fall back to his position on the right of Morgan. Stuart's division met with severe treatment in constructing bridges over the bayou, and only one regiment crossed over. During the night, the regiment was brought back without loss. Notwith standing the failure of the assault on the left, Gen. Sherman resolved to try another; but it was not deemed ex- A few weeks after the second battle pedient the next morning to attempt of Corinth (October 4th), Rosecrans to carry it out. The Yazoo swamps took command of the Army of the were entirely impracticable; and on Cumberland. It was composed of what consulting with Admiral Porter, it was remained of the late Army of the Ohio, proposed to make a combined naval and commanded by Bueli, strengthened and land attack on the extreme rebel right, increased by new but raw levies, and so as to gain a position on the bluffs was in direct succession of that brave and force the enemy back upon Vicks- body of men who, under Anderson, burg. The design, however, on further Sherman and Buell, had repeatedly de

CM. XXIV.]

ROSECRANS ADVANCES AGAINST BRAGG.

251

fended Kentucky against invasion, and army, reached Nashville on the 10th had carried its victorious banners of November, and took up his position through Tennessee to the heart of the in front of the city. At the close of enemy's country. the month, the railroad communication from Louisville was completed, and the balance of the year 1862 was occupied in gathering supplies, organizing and disciplining the troops, etc. The rebels, on their part, determined to drive out Rosecrans, and before the close of November, they had advanced a large force to Murfreesborough; they numbered, in all, 45,000 effective men, under the command of Braxton Bragg.

The new department of the Cumberland, in which the army was now to be employed, comprised all the state of Tennessee lying east of the Tennessee River, and such portions of Northern Alabama and Georgia as should be occupied by the forces of the United States. Rosecrans arrived at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 27th of October, and entered at once upon the duties of his command. The work of prepar ation for the intended campaign was vigorously begun, and carried forward as rapidly as possible; the troops were drilled, disciplined and rendered effective; equipments, arms, horses and stores of every kind were collected without delay; and steps were taken to restore the broken line of communication with Nashville as speedily as was practicable. Louisville being the real base of operations, distant 183 miles from Nashville, it was necessary, particularly in the low state of the Cumberland River, to re-open and repair the railroad between the two places. This was accomplished as far Accordingly, on Friday morning, Deas Mitchellsville, thirty-five miles north cember 26th, at daylight, the troops of Nashville, by the 8th of November. broke up camp, and McCook advanced On the 1st of November, Rosecrans on the Nolinsville Pike. Sharp skir moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and, on the 5th, three divisions of McCook's corps advanced by this route towards Nashville. The commanders of corps were, Gens. Thomas, McCook, Rousseau and Crittenden.

A large cavalry force was sent by Bragg into West Tennessee to cut off Grant's communications, and another large force, under Morgan, into Kentucky, to break up the railroads. In the absence of these forces, aud with adequate supplies in Nashville, it was judged an opportune moment for an advance on the rebels. Rosecrans's plan was well and carefully prepared, and every step was taken to insure suc cess over the enemy at Murfreesborough. In endeavoring to carry out the contemplated movements, it was determined, on the night of Christmas, to enter on the work the next day.

mishing ensued; the rebels, though resisting stoutly, were steadily driven, and, by the close of the day, McCook gained possession of Nolinsville and the hills in front. Thomas followed on the right, leaving Rousseau's di Rosecrans, who followed McCook's vision on the right flank. Crittenden advance with the remainder of the advanced to Lavergne, skirmishing

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