The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-29
a GALLANT SOUTH CARoLINIAN.
How Sherman Was Defeated at Chick
asaw Bayou and Grants Plan of
Campaign Frustrated.

| asa" bayou anu GranCS Plan
Campaign Frustrated.
Gen. DabDey II. Maury in the Ch,
lesion Sunday News pays the fJllowi
tribute to Stephen d. L.e, one of I
most gallant officers of the Coufed,
acy:
After our defeats at Iuka and c,
inth by Rosecrans, in October, lS(
Grant was strangely inactive until la
In December, when he formed tn
fine plan of campaign which, but I
Sherman's defeat by Gen. Stephen
Lee, might have ended the war
1868.
Assembling all his forces from TIE
nessee and North Mississippi. Ora
moved down the Mississippi Centr
Railroad with an army of go, 900 me
while he sent Sherman down the M
sissippi to capture Vicksbpsg, al
then moved east to Jackson, when
| their united forces would move on Nj
ridian, Mobile, Selma, Atlanta al
Charleston-if they could.
The heavy batteries OF VicksbuI
consisted then of five 1O.inch guns a,
about thirty other siege pieces, 8
defended by the movable force of /
fantry--2, 2,300-undcr command of &c
S. ID. Lee.
Late in December. 1862, Sherman d
barked his army of $4,000 men up,
the lower Yazoo River. and moved
Chickasaw Bayou, at a point six mil
from Vicksbnrg, where be found Ge
stephen D. Dee ready to meet hi
With 2,3O0 men drawn up with IL
Bluff behind them. Sherman rec,
parked his army, moved up to Snydes
Mill by boat and again landed 5
army. Lee had moved his forces thi-
er by the road, and after firing q "
shots Sherman re-em barked again, id
moved down to Chickasaw Bam,
where was fought, December "a, onof
the most remarkable battles of he
war.
After several hours conflict Ser
man retired, leaving his dead md
wounded thick upon the field. se's
loss was ten wounded; Lieut.. Hnil-
ton was killed by the explosionf a
caissOn.
On Christmas Day our armywas
drawn up in order for battle alonthe
Tallehatchie, at Grenada, whenthe
news came that Van Dorm had pised
behind Grants army and destroye his
great depot of stores at Holly Sprigs.
This, as intended, had compelled Gf,nt
10 retire at once, upon the 24th.
Gu Christmas Day, as large cd
happy company of generals and atf
officers, with Gen. Price at our he'd,
were sitting down to a sumptuous IN
ner, q telegram was handed Gen. Pre-.
ordering Maury's division to NOV at
once to reinforce Lee at Vicksbrg
where Sherman was ABOUT to at,ck
him.
About 2 o'clock the next moring
Maury reached the battlefield of Chck
asaw Bayou, whence Sherman aad
night vas as black as O VOLTS mouh, a
cold rain was beating down upolus
and upon Sherman's dead and wond.
ed, who lay thick upon the field Were
they fell.
Lees surgeons and hospital attend
ants were moving about with their
lanterns, ministering to the wounded
and bearing them to the field iospitals
Under these weird circumstances
Gems. Lee ard Maury met fol the frs,
time since Lee had been a by at Yves,
Point, where Maury was hislnstructol
IN bellies lettrcs, ethics, etc Lee was
now a brigadier general, VIII had wor
MS grades upon many a hTd- fOue ht
field in Virginia, while Mauy had ris
en- to major general in tn, Western
battles.
They greeted each other most cor
daily, Maury saying: Lee / am here
with 400 men; my whole Division will
be up by daylight. Meantime, as
don't know anything about the condi
tion OF things before us, youwill retair
the command and l the responsibility
You shall have the glory of ;he victory
we shall win, and / will he responsible
II anything goes wrong. Dr, you see
Lee, | don't know where tn, enemy is
don't know where am. ST., go ahead
Lee, and complete your vic ory"
And SO he did and from that da,
Lee and myself have been rusting, af.
iectioDate friends. Together we work
ed three days, to Shermal's discOmfit
ure and defeat.
Gen. Sherman left his cead swellins
and fostering three day. in the rain
and sun before he sent flag of true,
to ask permission to remove and bur,
them and then, insteadof ADDRESSING
his letter to Gen. Lee and signing i
himself, he addressed it to me, ant
caused Gen. Morgan to ign it. | CAV,
The letter to Lee, sayint: Here, Lee
you killed all these non; {; give Sher
man two hours to remove them, ant
sign your name and rink to your re
ply"
Gen. Carter l.. Stevenson had by thi
time come up with hs fine division
making our whole fore $4,000 men
and as 1T was eviden Sherman wa
preparing for something, we were re
solved to have IA genral battle mex
day-but, 10 and beholl with the frs
morning light we say tho last of hi
1reat tl0tilia as it ptired down the
YaZOo.
Lee took the 2l Teas Sharpshooter
and five or six Otbr regiments ant
hastencd to the leNe of the Yazoo
whence he killed AMI wounded mum
bcr OF Sherman's rer guard. Crowd
cd as they were u'on the steamers
they we're terribly Dt up.
Lec won great and we'll deserved
reputation for this extraordinary vic
tory. 1t was grea' in execution anc
great in It's results
l recommended zee to be promCt d
and the Prcsidentof the Confeder4c,
promptly appoint5 him major gene
raj, and var liter he was made {
lieutenant genera.