ARMY OPERATIONS. 



left Brandon in search of Col. Grierson. They 

 were on the direct road to his camp, and only 

 fourteen miles distant. The scout succeeded in 

 misleading the enemy, and returned safely to 

 camp. Col. Grierson immediately moved his 

 command over Leaf river, and destroyed 'the 

 bridge, thereby preventing the possibility of a 

 surprise in the rear. The command then moved 

 on to Westville, and crossed the Pearl river at 

 a point ten miles distant from the latter place. 

 Two battalions, which had been sent out in ad- 

 vance, under Col. Prince, moved rapidly to the 

 railroad station at Hazelhurst, and captured 

 forty cars, loaded with shell ammunition, quar- 

 termaster's and commissary stores. 



"When south of Starkvifie, Capt. Forbes, of 

 Co. B, 7th Illinois, was ordered to march to 

 Macon. As he approached within a short dis- 

 tance of that place, he found it occupied by a 

 considerable force of the enemy. He then 

 moved to Newton, and thence to Enterprise, 

 one hundred miles east of the main body of Col. 

 Grierson's force. Here he sent a flag of truce 

 to Col. Goodwin, commanding the Confederate 

 force in the place, and demanded his surrender. 

 Col. Goodwin requested one hour in which to 

 determine his reply. But Capt. Forbes, finding 

 the enemy to be stronger than he had supposed, 

 and having accomplished his object in divert- 

 ing their attention, before the expiration of the 

 hour commenced a rapid movement to join 

 Col. Grierson, then more than a day's march 

 distant. Taking a westward course, he soon 

 struck the route of the main body at Pearl 

 river, and effected a junction. Near Galla- 

 tin a 32-pound Parrott gun, destined for Port 

 Gibson, was captured and spiked. Five miles 

 east of Gallatin, a detachment was sent to 

 the railroad at Bahala, which destroyed the 

 track, several cars, water tanks, and a consider- 

 able amount of other property, and cut the tele- 

 graph wires. On the morning of the 28th, Brook- 

 haven was entered by the advance so suddenly 

 that two hundred of the enemy were surprised 

 and made prisoners. A large number of mus- 

 kets and five hundred tents, at a camp of in- 

 struction, were destroyed. The main body, 

 after leaving Gallatin, encountered a cavalry 

 force under Col. Garland, when a skirmish en- 

 sued, in which several of the enemy were killed 

 and others taken prisoners. A feint, for the pur- 

 pose of deceiving the enemy, was made toward 

 Port Gibson, and another toward Natchez, 

 when the main body marched to Brookhaven. 



On the 30th, Col. Grierson moved in a south- 

 erly direction, and destroyed all the bridges be- 

 tween Brookhaven and Bogue Chito Station. 

 At the latter place fifteen cars, partly loaded 

 with army stores, were destroyed, together 

 with the depot and other railroad build- 

 ings. The force then marched to Summit, 

 where twenty-five freight cars were destroyed. 

 Thence Col. Grierson moved from the railroad 

 to a point between Magnolia and Liberty, for 

 the purpose of reaching the Clinton road. Find- 

 ing a regiment of the enemy's cavalry at Wall's 



bridge, on the Tickfaw, a dash was made 

 upon them, in which eight or ten were killed, 

 several wounded, and the rest put to flight. 

 The loss of Col. Grierson was one killed and five 

 wounded. Moving then east of the Tickfaw a 

 short distance, the march was continued directly 

 southward. At Edwards's bridge another regi- 

 ment of the enemy's cavalry was posted, pur- 

 posely to dispute the passage. A battalion was 

 sent to engage them, while the main body mov- 

 ed on in the direction of Greensburg. Only a few 

 brief skirmishes took place with this regiment. 

 The march thus far had proved a constant sur- 

 prise to the inhabitants, and as it was supposed 

 that Col. Grierson would return to Lagrange, 



