AKMY OPERATIONS. 



157 



Ark., for the purpose of making a flank move- 

 ment on the Confederate force on the Tallahat- 

 chie and getting in their rear, and thus cutting 

 off their retreat while the main army advanced 

 upon them. On the river extensive fortifica- 

 tions had been thrown up as if for the purpose 

 of making a determined stand against the prog- 



1 



ress of the Federal army. These, however, 

 were abandoned on Dec. 1 by Gen. Van Dorn, 

 and his forces retired farther south. It was 

 supposed that information of the flank move- 

 ment from Helena led to the evacuation of his 

 strong position on the Tallahatchie. On the 2d 

 his rear guard passed 'through Abbeville, and 

 on the 3d through Oxford, with some sharp 



skirmishes with the Federal advance. On the 

 4th Gen. Grant's headquarters were at Oxford. 

 The main body of the army was at Abbeville. 

 As it advanced, the bridges and culverts of the 

 railroad were repaired, the track restored, and 

 the cars run. At the same time the Confed- 

 erate force continued to fall back toward Gre- 

 nada, presenting only a strong rear guard. 



Meantime the expedition from Helena above- 

 mentioned, moved on the 27th of Novem- 

 ber with seven thousand men under Gen. Al- 

 vin P. Hovey. On the next day he crossed 

 the Tallahatchie. The passage was disputed 

 by Confederate pickets without loss. On the 

 30th a second skirmish occurred at the Yack- 

 napatapha, after the crossing of which the 

 Confederate forces retired toward Coifeeville. 

 The next movement of Gen. Hovey was to cut 

 the Mississippi Central railroad and the tele- 

 graph line. The railroad line was destroyed 

 for a considerable distance. The Confederate 

 communication on the Mississippi and Tennes- 

 see railroad for a short distance was next cut 

 near Panola, by a cavalry force sent out by 

 Gen. Hovey under Col. Washburn. In exe- 

 cuting this order, on Dec. 1, Col. Washburn 

 unexpectedly encountered a cavalry force near 

 Oakland, on the Mississippi and Tennessee 

 railroad, and a sharp skirmish ensued. The 

 superiority of the Federal artillery soon put an 

 end to it, and the Confederate forces retired in 

 the direction of Coffeeville. with a loss of five 

 killed, several wounded, and about fifty taken 

 prisoners. The loss of Col. AVashburn was 

 fifteen men wounded and fifteen horses killed. 

 The steamboats and small craft on the Talla- 

 hatchie river were destroyed, and two loco- 

 motives and some cars on the railroad, and the 

 expedition then returned to Helena. The effect 

 of this movement was to cause the Confederate 

 force under Gen. Pemberton to fall back from 

 the Tallahatchie. evacuate Grenada, and re- 

 tire toward Canton, under the impression 

 that the entire command of Gen. Grant was 

 very strong. The effect of the return of this 

 force to Helena was to restore the confidence 

 of the Confederate general Van Dorn, and an at- 

 tack upon Gen. Grant's rear, in order to cut 

 off his supplies, was immediately organized, and 

 on the 20th, while Gen. Grant's headquarters 

 were at Oxford, an attack by surprise was 

 made on the garrison at Holly Springs, thirty 

 miles north, by a considerable force of cavalry, 

 to whom the place was surrendered. The 

 prisoners were paroled, the immense stores 

 collected there for Gen. Grant's army were 

 destroyed, also a large quantity of cotton which 

 had been purchased of the people in the vicin- 

 ity. On the same day a similar attack was 

 made at Davis's Mills^ a little farther north, 

 which was bravely repulsed. Xear Jackson, 

 in Tennessee, previously the headquarters of 

 Gen. Grant, an attack was made on the 19th 

 by a body of cavalry with artillery, under Col. 

 Forrest. It was first made upon a train loaded 

 with wood. The telegraph wire was also cut, 



