, 1863-08-15

stud to ne. ReeonnoIsances were mads t
,;os n9 "eSt 50 si1e OF the Biz Black to within 81,
a:1 aosancs Was ordered, NcPherson's corps
Rk Rockv sr[igos .4g soaq nsasess Black River tc
om Wo~ o,sa5p Segps saS 9fsRlns she9
man following with his CORPS di7inei3 m thf
two, roads. All the ferries were closely
guarded until our troops were well advanced
Il was my intention here to hug the Black
Nyeras cloeely as possible with McClernand's
and sherman's corrpe, ana ret taem to the
railroad at some place betweau Edwards Sta-
I ton md Bolton. MCPHERSON was to move
BY Foy OF Utica to Raymond, and from there
into jackson, destroying the railroad, tele-
g[aRh gda}n R Rnbllc & &sto,es, &C., and push west to
McPher.on accordingly. Sherman was aoyed
forward on the Edwards Station road, cross
Ing Fourteen Mile Greek at Dillon's planta.
ton; NcClernand WAS moved across the same
ereek, luther west, sending one division Of
ms corps BY the BaldWin's Ferry road as far
as e the riyer; At the crossing Of Fourteen
Nile Greek, both McCleznand md Sherman
nad considerable skiEmlshing with the enemy
to get possession OF the crossing. McPhcr-
son met the enemy near Raymond, two brig
aoes es1ss strong, under Gregg and Walker. on tie
san same daF engaged him, and aftersereral hours
fa;;a naIa nghtihg drove him with heayy loss in
klled, wounded and prisoners. Many threw
COW their arms and deserted. M position at
thls time vas with Shermau's cosps,, some
ae aeyen miles west Of Raymond, and about the
On the night Of the 18th Of May, after or
dcrs bad been given for the corps Of AIcC1er-
nard to march towards the railroad bY paral-
!ea r2ads, the former IN the direction Of Ed
~ Maros 5ta1ion, and the latter to q point on
INC railroad between Edwards Stallion and
bolton, the order WAS changed, aud both
we're directed to more toward RAYMOND.
lnla vas IN consequences Of the enemy having
raymond, and Of information received thgt
reln1orcements were daily arriving ut jack
son, and that Gen. Joe johnson was hourly
expected there to take command in person.
ltheretore determined to make sure Of that
PLACE p ana leave no enemy in ny rear:
destroyed the railroad and telegraph and car,.
tu1ed scne important dispatches from Gen.
fem6etton to Gen. Gregg, who commanded
the day before In the battle of Raymond.
sherman mo7ed to a parallel position on the
M1sstsstppf Springs aud Jackson road:
meCiernand NEIL moved to point near Ray.
: Tie next day Sherman and Mcpherson
moved their entire forces toward Jackson.
Ihe rain fell In torrents all the night before.
and continued until about noon Of that iaY.
mskipg the roads at first slippery ond then
II y ay,a;1"t ;M1ottS1t9standing, the troops marched
me best Of spirits about fourteen miles, and
engaged the enemy about IL o'clock m. near
jackson, McClernand occupied Clinton with
one division, Mississippi Springs with IN.
otner, Raymond with q third, and had his |
1ourth division and Blair's division Of sher- |
mans corps with q wagon train still In the
rear near New Auburn, which Macarthur,
with one brigade Of his division of NcPher.
sons corps was moving towards Raymond on |
the Utica road. It was not the intention to |
move tnese forces any nearer Jackson, but to |
have them IN position where they would be |
n supporting distance If the resistance at
Jackson should prove more obstinate than |
there eecHcd reason to expect.
CAPTURE or JACKSON. |
: The enemy marched ont the bu1k of Ills
!oIces on the Clinton Road and engaged Nc
eherson's corps about two and half miles
rem the clty. 4 small force Of artillery and |
nfsnhy took 3 strong position In front Of
sherman, nbout the same distance out. By
|. determined advance of our akirm.shers
hese latter we're soon driven within theIr
H. se1pf6s IT. 3uss 9ntslae the city tupos
It rhis part Of the line In time to Justify al
immediate assault; consequently McPher-
on's two divisions engaged the main bulk OF
he rebel garrison at jackson without further
ID ,a thnn tn the moral support giyen them By the
outh side Of the city, md The lew inf1ntIv
nd ertllleEy OF, the enemy posted there to
impede Shermau'e progress, Sherman soon |
discovered the weakness Of the enemy b.
ending a accommodating party to his light,
'Mch aleo had the effect Of causing the ene-
y to retreat from this part of tho rne. 4
Nv of the artille1ists, however, remained IN |
oelT places, firing upon Sherman's troops
ntl the Inst moment, evidently instructed /
40 50, with the expectation OF being cap.
ared In the end. On entering the city it was
onnd . that the main body of4he enemy had
etreated north, after heavy engagement Of
,ore than two hours with AcP' P'herson's corps,
which he Was badly beaten. He was p4r-
aed until near night, but without further
amaEe to him.
During that cvon1pg I learned that General
oanston, "a soou as he had satisfied himself
nat jackson was to be attacked, had ordered F!
emberton peremtorily to march out rom
ae direction Of Vlcksburg md attack o1rrear.
.Vai1lng myself Of this Information. I imme.
lately ! IM Issued orders to cClernand and Blair.
sherman's corps, to fceo their troops Is. |
ta.I. aIu ooiLon, ,%ith VleW Of reaching Edwards
fauon, marching on different roads conyerg-
IS near Bolton. These troops we're ADMIRE
y located for guch move. Mcpherson was
roefed 70 1etrace his steps early on the nor
Ing OF the 18th On the Clinton road. She.-
ian WIS LETT In Jackson to destroy tho rail-
'ads, bridges, tactories, workshops, arsenals,
I'd everything. valuable for the support Of |
le enemy. This Was accomplised in de most
fectual manner.
On the afternoon Of the 18th / proceeded NJ
T west as Clinton, through which place Mc.
neIson's corps passed to within supporting
stance o. Hoyey's division Of McClernand3 |
rps, which had moved that day on the sane
ad to within one and q half miles Of Bolton,
4 Teaehing Clinton, at 4:45 ?. m, I ordered
cClernand to move his command earlY ueyt
orning toward Edwards Depot, maTching =
as to feel the enemy, II ha encounterei
N, nat not 70 bring on general engage 2
feat him, and also to order Blair to move
About S o'clock on the morning of 18th | =
g men, employees on the Jackson and | &
cKsourg Railroad, who had passed through II
,mnerton's army the night before, were "
mberton's force to consist Of about eighty 2,
slmeuts, with ten batteries Of artillery, aud ia
At Inc whole force Was estimated By tie en- :,
II az ABOUT 70 000 men. From them also o.
med the positions being taken up By the -
envy, and his Intention Of attacking our v
Y: had determined to leave one diYision p
sherman's corps one day longer In jack 81
., but this information determined me to | -:
ne nus entire command up at once, and n
,otol1alE dispatched him at $50 a. H., to ! TIL
z re with all possible speed until he came up nj
- H41e A0n 1oIE9 AeaE bOlto0. My dispatch |
ehed him at 7:10 j, m., and his advance d. q
ION vas 10 motion In one hour from that -
le. a dispatch was sent to Blair at the n
ne time, to push forward his division In the II
eetlon Of Edwards Station With Ill posi-.
,alspatch. McClernand was directed to es-
ltsh communication between Blair and o.
haus, OF his corps, and keep 1t up, moving
former to the support Of the latter. Nc
srson was ordered forward at 6:45 d, NJ,
ON McC1ernand, and Lieut. Col. Wilson,
information received, and with verbal in IN
tctions to McClernandas 40 to the disposition II
lis forces. At IN early hour I left for the
ance, and on arriving at the crossing Of the
ksburg aud jackson Railroad. with the
! from Raymond. to. Bolton, l found
ohersou's advancdeand his pioneer CORDS
agcd in rebuilding bridge on the former
! that had been destroyed bv the cayaIrv
)stcrhaus' division that had gone into Boi. | ri
the night before. The train Of HoyeY's u
sion was at halt, and blocked up the
! from further advance on the Vicksburx
|. ordered all quartermasters md War. at
laateTs to draw their teams to one side -
make room for the passage Of troops, 4.
'hetson was brought up By this road. IL
ing to the front, found Hoyey's diyfs-
Of tho 18th Army Corps at halt, With AF
and the encmy's plckets near
other. Hovey WIS bringing his troops Ey
line, ready for battle, aud could have
ght on an engagement at any moment,
enemy had taken up very strong posi-. Fol
on narrow ridge, bis left resting On
ht where the road makes a sharn
70 the left approaching Vick5. eyet 1st
!. Ihe top Of the ridge and the precipi- sesG