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THE BATTLE OF RAYMOND. and a severe engagement ensued which lasted two hours when, Logan's division having been reinforced with a portion of Crocker's division, Gregg abandoned the field and retreated toward Jackson, being joined on the way by Walker's brigade. In the battle of Raymond the Union loss was 66 killed, 329 wounded and 37 missing. Gregg reported a loss of 73 killed, 229 wounded and 204 missing.

leaving a force behind to protect the crossing. On the morning of the 3d this force was attacked by Crocker's division of McPherson's corps, whereupon the Confederates slowly retired. Later in the day, however, Logan's division came upon their flank and they hastily crossed the river. McPherson's corps was then moved forward to Hankinson's Ferry and McClernand's to Willow Springs where they remained until the 7th when Sherman's corps, having crossed the Mississippi, the advance was resumed, the main body of the army moving along the Big Black toward Edwards' Station midway between Vicksburg and Jackson, while McPherson on the right was sent toward Jackson, the capital of the State, 45 miles east of Vicksburg. On the night of the 11th McPherson bivouaced five miles northeast of Utica on the road to Raymond, and early on the morning of the 12th pushed rapidly on toward Raymond, 18 miles from Jackson, hoping to capture there a large quantity of commissary stores; but before 9 o'clock Logan's division which was in advance came upon a strong body of Confederates, whereupon the division was deployed and continued its advance for two hours when, coming to a small stream crossing the road about two miles from Raymond, General Gregg's brigade of about 3,000 men with two batteries was sent beyond the stream in a position to enfilade the road and the bridge across the stream. Logan immediately threw out skirmishers

Having provided for the safety of his rear and left from the direction of Vicksburg, Grant sent a corps of McPherson's and Sherman's and part of McClernand's to capture Jackson. On the 13th McPherson moved from

Raymond to Clinton and then turned east toward Jackson. On the same day Sherman moved through Raymond to Mississippi Springs and on that night arranged with McPherson that both columns should arrive at Jackson at about the same hour the next day. McClernand sent one division to Clinton to support McPherson. Meanwhile on May 9 the Confederate government had directed General Johnston to proceed at once to the Mississippi with 3,000 troops and take command of the forces there.t On learning of this Grant decided to follow the enemy and not to stop until

Official Records, vol. xxiv., pt. i., p. 50; Grant, Personal Memoirs, vol. ii.; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., pp. 478, 486, 503, 519, 604; Greene, The Mississippi, pp. 140-143; Confederate Military History, vol. vii., pt. ii., pp. 137-139; vol. viii., pp. 80-83.

Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. vii., p. 178 et seq.

JOHNSTON'S DEFEAT AT JACKSON.

Vicksburg was in his possession.* Johnston, however, did not arrive at Jackson until the night of May 13, after the battle of Raymond. Upon his arrival Johnston learned of the Union approach and ordered Gregg's division to take position on the Raymond road and W. H. T. Walker's brigade on the Clinton road, their object being to delay the Union advance as long as possible so that the public property might be removed from the city. The combined strength of Gregg and Walker was about 6,000 men. At 9 o'clock on the 14th McPherson advanced on the Clinton road, struck Walker's pickets and drove them back to the main body, about two and a half miles west of Jackson. At 11 A. M. Crocker's division charged and soon compelled Walker's men to retreat, abandoning 7 guns. After pursuing the Confederates for about a mile Crocker's men became disorganized and while

while they were re-forming Walker escaped to the Canton road. Crocker's loss was 265 killed and wounded. On the Raymond road Sherman had struck Gregg and by a flank movement had compelled him to abandon his line and 10 guns with a loss of 200 prisoners and 81 killed and wounded, while Sherman's loss was only 32. Johnston retreated northward on the Canton road and between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon McPherson and Sherman entered Jackson. The Union loss was 42 killed and 251 wounded. The Confederates p. 33.

*Official Records, vol. xxiv., pt. i.,

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stated their loss at less than 400, but Sherman estimated it at 485 killed, wounded and missing.*

Learning from an intercepted dispatch sent by Johnston to Pemberton on the 13th that Pemberton had been advised to march with all his available force to Clintont and attack Grant's rear while Johnston operated on his front or flank, Grant, leaving Sherman with two divisions at Jackson to destroy all public property, tear up the railroads and burn bridges, factories, arsenals, etc., turned the rest of his army from Clinton, Raymond and Auburn on Bolton and Edwards' Station on the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad. With the three divisions of C. L. Stevenson, J. S. Bowen, and W. W. Loring, Pemberton was near the Big Black River on May 14 when he received Johnston's dispatch. Disregarding it, he decided to move on Grant's rear in the direction of Raymond and on the 15th advanced for that purpose, Loring's division halting that night on the Raymond road at Elliston's, eight miles east of Edwards' Station, the other divisions being farther north on roads coming into the Raymond road. The next morning Pemberton morning Pemberton resumed the march but almost immediately received a dispatch from Johnston that he had been defeated at Jackson and advising Pemberton to move on Clin

* Johnston, Narrative of Military Operations; Sherman, Memoirs, vol. i.; Official Records, vol. xxiv.; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., p. 480 e seq.; Greene, The Mississippi, pp. 143-148.

Official Records, vol. xxiv., pt. i., p. 263.

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munications with each other; he himself then hastened by the Clinton road to the front. About 8 o'clock A. J. Smith's division advancing along the Raymond road attacked and drove in Loring's skirmishers, and Osterhaus on the middle road engaged those in front. At 2 P. M. McClernand received an order from Grant to advance, whereupon the divisions of Smith and Osterhaus began the attack. But meanwhile the battle was being fought out and decided on the right of Champion's Hill. Advancing along the Clinton road Hovey began skirmishing with Stevenson about 10 o'clock

with Loring on the right covering Raymond road, Bowen in the centre and Stevenson on the left on the northern point of a narrow road known as Champion's Hill covering the Clinton road and the intersection of the crossroad. Altogether Pemberton had about 17,500 men, while Grant had 32,000 men formed in seven divisions as follows-Hovey's at Bolton on the Clinton road, Logan's and Crocker's on the same road a few miles in Hovey's rear, Osterhaus' on a crossroad half way from Raymond to Bolton, Carr's a short distance in his rear, and Blair's and A. J. Smith's

THE BATTLE OF CHAMPION'S HILL.

At 11

and was preparing for a general assault when ordered by Grant to wait for news from McClernand. o'clock Logan came up, and as nothing had been heard from McClernand the line was formed for a general attack with Hovey south of the Clinton road and Logan on his right. At about noon Hovey's troops climbed Champion's Hill and advanced, driving back Stevenson's right and capturing 11 guns. Soon after this Logan, who had worked around on Stevenson's left on the north side of the hill attacked and drove back Stevenson's left and captured 7 guns. Being compelled to take ground to the left in order to meet Logan's flank movement and cover the road to Baker's Creek and Edwards' Station, Stevenson induced Pemberton to draw Bowen to the left and close the interval between the two divisions while Loring should compel an engagement with Bowen. At 2 o'clock Bowen closed in on Stevenson's two leading brigades (Green's and F. M. Cockrell's) and attacked Hovey furiously driving him back down the hill and recapturing 9 guns. Finally, however, two brigades of Crocker's division came to Hovey's support and checked the Confederates. The Union artillery then poured such an effective enfilading fire upon Stevenson's line that it was much demoralized, whereupon Hovey and Crocker again charged up the hill and drove back Stevenson and Bowen. Accordingly, seeing his left entirely broken, Pemberton at

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3 o'clock ordered a general retreat, at the same time ordering Loring to cover. Meanwhile Loring, leaving General Lloyd Tilghman's brigade on the Raymond road to oppose Smith and Blair, had closed up on Bowen with two brigades, and when the retreat began was forming his men beyond the Raymond road when he was attacked by Osterhaus and compelled to fall back to the Raymond road. At the same time A. J. Smith attacked Tilghman's force and killed Tilghman. Loring then reunited his command and retreated along the Raymond road, but when he came to the ford of Baker's Creek found it in possession of the Union troops and realizing that he had been cut off from Pemberton's army moved off to the south, abandoned his artillery, and on the 19th joined General Johnston who meanwhile had reoccupied JackThe Union loss was 410 killed, 1,844 wounded, and 187 missing. The Confederate loss was 380 killed, 1,018 wounded, and 2,441 missing.*

son.

After his defeat General Pemberton withdrew his army across Big Black River and was pursued by Grant on the 17th. Pemberton tried to hold the bridge head on the east side of the stream, but the Confederates had lost heart and were filled with consterna

* Official Records, vol. xxiv.; Greene, The Mississippi, pp. 149-160; Grant, Personal Memoirs; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., p. 508 et seq.; Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. vii., pp. 183-192; Confederate Military History, vol. vi., pp. 220-222; vol. vii., pp. 141-148; vol. ix., pt. ii., pp. 117-120.

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BATTLE OF THE BIG BLACK.

tion at the swift movements and impetuous onsets of Grant. The Confederates were posted in the river bottom on the east bank with a long line of rifle-pits which were defended by the bayous. They presented a somewhat formidable front as the Union army approached, but Grant found

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enabling most of his troops on the east side to get over, whereupon he ordered all of his command to withdraw within the intrenched lines of Vicksburg. The fortified position at Snyder's Bluff on the Yazoo was abandoned and the garrison brought into the city while the outpost at Warrenton on the south was also drawn in.

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Around the exterior line of defence, which was about eight miles in length, were 102 pieces of field artillery and about 19,000 effective men. On the river front were 40 heavy guns with about 700 men. On the 18th Pember

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ton received a dispatch from Johnston advising him to evacuate Vicksburg and march to the northeast.* After a council of war, however, Pemberton decided to make the attempt to hold Vicksburg. On the same day Grant closed in, established his base on the Yazoo River above Vicksburg, while Sherman on the right reoccupied Haynes' and Snyder's Bluffs. On Sherman's left McPherson held ground on both sides of the Jackson road while McClernand's division was stationed on the south of McPherson and extended toward Warrenton. From the demoralization of the Confederates Grant hoped that he might carry their works by storm, and at 2 P. M. of the 19th ordered a general assault. Sherman advanced on the right and after hard fighting gained the ditch of the works near the Graveyard road, but could advance no far

that under cover of the river bank the rifle-pits could be flanked. done and an attack was made, the Confederates hastily retreating. Pemberton fell back across the bridge after losing 18 guns and 1,750 prisoners." His troops on the west bank of the river covered the disorderly retreat,

*

Greene, The Mississippi, pp. 161-164; Confederate Military History, vol. ix., pt. ii., pp. 120121.

* Official Records, vol. xxiv., pt. i., p. 272.

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