The National tribune., 1905-10-19

that they asked was to be put within
musket shot of the enemy.
So they p1odded on through the mud
and drenching rain with such good will
that by 8 o'clock they came upon john
ston's outlying pickets, some two and
noisy little skirmish the pickets retired
across a wide, shallow. cultivated val
ley TO the crest beyond, where a line
of battle developed.
Mcpherson and Sherman had kept in
constant communication as they
marched forward and were now we'll
abreast, though separated by an inter-
val of two miles.
Johnston either did not realize this
gap or was too weak to take advantage
of it.
Grant believed that Johnston would
swing around to the south, in order to
unite with Pemberton, and had sent
sherman in that direction to head him
off. Grant accompanied Sherman's col
umn, expecting that the severest fight
ing would be there.
Johnston had no such idea AS soon
as he learned of the weight of the col
umns converging upon him, he saw that
his orders to Pemberton to attack
Grants rear had not been carried out,
and that therefore all that was left for
him was to repeat the tactics which he
had successfully employed at York
town before Mcclellan. and get away
with as much as he could.
Therefore he sent Walkers and Col
quits Brigades of South Carolinians
and Georgians with one regiment from
Mississippi, out on the Clinton Road to
hold back Mcpherson, while Johnston
was carrying out the evacuation. He
sent Farquharson's Brigade of Ken
lucky and miscellaneous troops out on
the Raymond Road to do the same with
Sherman.
Ten pieces of artillery, in position in
the works, We're TO do the most in
checking Sherman. Farquharson was
to make snowy demonstrations.
The Evacuation.
A heavy downpour of rain came up
to embarrass the Union advance. 1t
shrouded the country SO as to prevent
a proper examination OF the front. 1t
clogged the formation of the lines, i'm
peded the delivery and execution of or
derS, and threatened to destroy the car
tridges with which the Union troops were
none too well supplied. In the mean
while Johnston's officers and those Of the
State of Mississippi had every available
negro and white man hard at work
loading the State archives and the mill
itary stores onto the cars. to be sent
northward to Canton, on the Mississippi
Central Railroad. Johnston had antic-
ipated this the night before, and or
dered the work begun. AS McPherson's
advance threatened this line Of retreat.
the strongest force was sent to oppose
him, and the noisy artillery fire was re-
lied upon to check Sherman.
McPherson,s Battle.
The rain ceased about IL o'clock, aud
Mcpherson saw that the enemy occu-
pied a semi-circular hill, less than a
mile away, across the open fields. the
road ran over this hill, and was en-
filaded by Colquitt's cannon. Other
guns commanded the clearing that ran
up t. the front.
Mcpherson put CrOcker's Division i'm
front, with two of Logan's Brigades in
support. The third-Stevenson's- s-was
concealed behind a wood to the left
with orders to march to a road leading
into Jackson from the northwest and
turn the Confederate right
Crocker put his Second Brigade, COM
manded by Col. Holmes, of the 10th
Mo-, and consisting of that regiment
and the 17th Iowa, 80th Ohio and one
company Of the oath Mo-, on the right
and left Of the road, with the First Bri-
gade-Sanborn's-48t and 59th Ind
4th Mimi, and 18th Vision the right
and rear of the Second Brigade, with
the Third Brigade, Col Boomer-93d
Ill, 5th and 10th Iowa, and 26th Mo-
to the left and rear of the Second Bri-
gade, in piece Of woods. Capt. Dill
Ions 9Th Wis. Battery advanced with
the infantry.
At the bottom of the valley was the
usual stream, bordered with a dense