The National tribune., 1910-03-10

on June 10 came in contact with the
enemy near Brice's Crossroads, where
he was defeated He retreated to Mem
phis. On July 5, 1864, Gen. A. ]. Smith
left La Grange, Tenn, for Tupelo. Miss,
and on July IA he fought and defeated
Forrest near Pontotoc. Gen. Smith
withdrew his army to Lagrange. On
Aug. 2, 1864, Gen. Smith started on an
other expedition to oxford, Miss, and
offered Forrest battle, but Forrest de-
clined to fight him. On Aug. 1S, 1864,
Forrest selected some of his cavalry,
perhaps two or three brigades fGen.
Washburn says that he had three bri-
gades, having left his army near Ok
ford), and marched the 100 miles to
Memphis, where on Aug. 81, 1864,
about 4 o'clock a. M, he attacked our
pickets and entered the city. Forrest
was stung at his inability to cope with
Gen. Smith, and made his raid on Mem
phis to draw Smith out of Mississippi.
Forrest served with Braggs army until
after Braggs defeat at Chattanooga.
Then he requested that he be given conf
mand of northern Mississippi and West
Tennessee, which was granted. He was
made a Brigadier-General,a and on the
night of Dec. 3, 1868, he went up to
Jackson, Tenn, and made that place
his headquarters until about Christmas.
About April 1, 1864, he made another
raid into West Tennessee and Ken
lucky. After trying to take Paducah
and Columbia he dropped down and
took Fort Pillow April IL, 1864, re-
treating by way of Corinth. After his
fight with A. ]. Smith he went into
Middle Tennessee to break Sherman's
cracker line, but failed to do so for any
length of time. He then destroyed
some of our gunboats and transports on
the Tennessee River, then helped Hood
in his Nashville campaign, after which
he went to Selma, and was there when
Gen. Wilson took that place. He sur
rendered shortly after the fall Of Selma.
1 wish to say to Comrade Elsey that it
was Gen. Chalmers that attacked Col
lierville on Oct II, 1863. Gen. Sher-
man was there at the time of the fight.
Chalmers did not take Collierville, but
they swung around and burned our
camp, our regiment being most all out
on a scout at that time.
Positive al to His Dates.
]. H. Bell. Co. E. 27th Iowa, Extra.
Iowa. says Comrade Rankin makes
some bad mistakes as to dates. He seys:
On April l, 1864, Gen. A. J. Smith left
Memphis with about 9, 900 infantry, cav
airy and artillery to give battle to For
rest" Gen. Smith and his two divi-
sions-the First and Third of the Six
teenth COrps-were at that time at
Alexandria. La, on Red River prepar-
ing - ss3ss: 0SA. Banks in capturing
Shreveport, La. My diary says that we
left Vicksburg. Miss. March s, for the
Red River. and on March IA our bri-
gade, consisting Of the 14th. 27th, 32d
Iowa and cath Mo, with the Sd Ind.
Battery, commanded by Col. VIM. T.
Shaw. captured Fort De Russy. Gen.
Smith was ON the ground. We reached
the mouth of Red River on our return
May "a, and after resting two weeks
our two divisions arrived at Memphis
June 20. On July we marched from
Lagrange, Tenn. (our two divisions and
Gen. Hatch's Cavalry Division, the
whole under Gen. A. J. Smith), and on
July Il we whipped Gen. Forrest at
Tupelo. Miss, returned to Memphis
July 20, and left there July 2S on an
other raid, in which we burned the
town of oxford, Miss While out on
this march Forrest raided Memphis
about Aug. 8. We hurried back when
we heard the news, expecting to try
conclusions with Forrest again, but he
seemed to avoid Gen. Smith and our
part of the Sixteenth Corps ever after
wards. I am positive as to the correct
ness of all these dates, as they are
taken from my diary.