Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-03-06

CTaDand artiCleS, which we're usually
slowed away before tattoo was sounded.
Holly Springs had been occupied by
Grants advance on the 18th Of Novem-
Der, without resistance, Pemberton retir-
ing to his Tallahatchie defenses, which
were strongly constructed and occupied
a position almost impreg-
nable against direct assault.
Through thanking process the
confederates wero compelled to abandon
this line, upon which so much labor had
bsen expended, and fall back through
Oxford and continue their retreat in the
direction of Grenada. From Holiy Springs
Grant had sent cavalry force across
the Tallahatchie on the right of the ene-
my's works. Sherman, who had previous
ly been ordered forward from Memphis,
sought crossing of the TalIahatchie
below and was menacing Pemberton' g
left flank. Under the circumstances the
confederate commander could do moth
ing else but Withdraw. Otherwise, his
communications would eoon have been
severed and his army surrounded iE the
Tallahatchie swamps and starved into a
surrender.
Following the retieating enemy, the
division of the army to which belonged
McPherson's) moved on through Oxford
and dozen miles below, reaching its
most advanced position the first week
in December and there halting to give
Grant an opportunity to repair the cap
tured railroad up to and beyond the
Tallahatchie river. The march had been
rendered difficult and fatiguing by
frequent rains, which transform.
! ed the yellow, clayey soil
of Mississippi into mud of qualities
more tenacious than any other cnmbina.
| tion Of water and soil ever compounded
| III the laboratory OF nature. But we
stuck to the trail, toiling along assidu.
ously by day and by night, and the
trail stuck to US. When We reached our
final baltine place below Oxford il
seemed as though half Of the state oi
Mississippi had clung to us and followed
us into camp and laid down to reat
along with us onsthe banks of the Yo
hona-pata-fa river.
| Camp life was varied by aracoul
picket duty. The enemy wes in force
| in our front and we were the outpost o.
Grants advance. BY day there were
| generally no unusual demonstrations
but at night firing along tue picket iinet
was lrcessant. This was usually g
harmless fusilade, but 1t served to TEN
per,the proceedings with prevailing ex
citement which dispelied any suspicion
Of dull monotony. There was no dis
position upon the part of either force t.
intrnde upon the domain of the other
The confederates were on the defensive
and the federals were halting to com
plete their supply line up to their ad
vance. Holly Springs had already bee,
made q secondary federal base and sup
plies had been rapidly transported from
Columbus, Kentucky, via the rail route
to that point, the intention being t.
there accumulate enough in the way o
stores to supply the armJ during it
forward movement on VicksburP.
This was the situation o.
that disastrous goth of December
when the confederate Va
Dorm swung his forces into Grants real
captured Holly Springs and its federe
garrison of 1900 men and applied tn
torch to the stores there accumulated
Colonel Murphy, of the Sth Wisconsin
! the same officer who had give up lux
to Price the previous September, was j
command at Holly Springs and he SUI
rendered the place on demand, wi.hou
making an effort to defend it, though b
had sufficient force to hold the enem
strongly in check until the arrival {
reinforcements from below. After thl
transaction Colonel Murphy WAS retire
from the service, but it was too late
retrieve the disaster precipitated by hi
: action at Holly Springs. General Gran
} with starvation prospect before h
Z men, was compelled to withdraw b
l army rapidly from the country and fa
. back upon au established line of con
] munication.
In those yet early days of our country
war experience, the army end the cau'
4 for which it contended frequently So
r fered from the inefficiency of Office
D occupying high places. 1t took tim
Q experience and the white heat of arme
8 conflict to temper this material to Il
@ uses for which it was designed. Ora
g had depended upon Murphy to no
holly Springs. Murphy had disappoir
n ed him and the result was the total fa
a nre of the expedition. Some two yea
4 later it was the fortune of our fragme
i OF the army to be thrown into o positi
Ie OF like responsibility, at Altatoona pa
% in the mountains of Georgia. We nu
\ bered abaut the same as the force unt
"a Murphy at Holly Springs, and we WI
=. assigned to the protection Of all TIE
i. serve rations for Shern.an's army, tn
in in and abont the captul
n city of Atlanta and preparing
f. cut loose for the long eastward ca
Of paign. Had we failed to comply W
n. our instructions and preserve from d
q. truction that pile of rations, the NAL