ARMY OPERATIONS. 



Gen. McClernand, and to Gen. Blair of Sher- 

 man's corps, to face their troops toward Bol- 

 ton, with a view to reaching Edwards's Station 

 hy marching on different roads, which con- 

 verged near Bolton. Gen. McPherson was 

 ordered to retrace his steps on the Clinton 

 road, early on the morning of the 15th. Gen. 

 Sherman was left in Jackson to destroy the 

 railroads, bridges, factories, workshops, arse- 

 nals, and everything valuable for the support 

 of the enemy. On the afternoon of the 15th, 

 Gen. Grant proceeded as far west as Clinton, 

 through which place Gen. McPherson's corps 

 had passed to within supporting distance of 

 Gen. Hovey's division of Gen. McClernand's 

 corps, which had moved that day on the same 

 road to within one and a half mile of Bolton. 

 The country from Jackson to Bolton is rugged 

 and broken, with a succession of hills and val- 

 leys, precipitous steeps and deep ravines, over 

 and through which the road passes. Gen. 

 Grant, on reaching Clinton, about five o'clock 

 p. M., ordered Gen. McClernand to move his 

 command early the next morning toward Ed- 

 wards's Station, marching so as to feel the 

 enemy, if he encountered him, but not to 

 bring on a general engagement unless he was 

 confident he was able to defeat him. Gen. Blair 

 was also ordered to move with Gen. McCler- 

 nand. 



Early the next morning, two persons em- 

 ployed on the Jackson and Vicksburg railroad, 

 who had passed through the army of Gen. 

 Pemberton on the night before, were brought 

 to the headquarters of Gen. Grant. They 

 stated that the force of Gen. Pemberton con- 

 sisted of about eighty regiments, with ten bat- 

 teries of artillery, and that the whole force 

 was estimated at near twenty-five thousand 

 men. They also described the positions taken 

 by the enemy, and his intention to attack the 

 Federal rear. Gen. Grant had determined to 

 leave one division of Gen. Sherman's corps 

 one day longer in Jackson, but after this infor- 

 mation he resolved to bring his entire com- 

 mand up at once, and accordingly sent orders 

 to him to move with all possible speed until he 

 came up with the main force at Bolton. A 

 despatch was sent to Gen. Blair at the same 

 time, to push forward his division in the direc- 

 tion of Edwards's Station with all possible des- 

 patch. Gen. McClernand was also ordered to 

 establish communication between Gen. Blair 

 and Gen. Osterhaus of his corps, and to keep 

 it up, moving the former to the support of the 

 latter. Gen. McPherson was also ordered for- 

 ward at 5.45 A. M., to join Gen. McClernand. 

 The information received was communicated 

 to Gen. McClernand, with instructions as to the 

 disposition of his forces. 



Early on the morning of the 16th, Gen. 

 Grant left Clinton for the advance, and on ar- 

 riving at the point where the road from Ray- 

 mond to Bolton crosses the Jackson and Vicks- 

 burg railroad, he found Gen. McPherson's 

 advance and his pioneer corps engaged in 



rebuilding a bridge on the latter road, that 

 had been destroyed by the cavalry of Gen. 

 Osterhaus's division, which had gone into Bol- 

 ton the night before. On reaching the front, 

 Gen. Grant found Gen. Hovey's division of the 

 thirteenth corps at a halt, with his skirmishers 

 and the enemy's pickets near each other. Gen. 

 Hovey was bringing his troops into line, ready 

 for battle, and could have brought on an engage- 

 ment at any moment. The enemy had taken 

 up a very strong position on a narrow ridge. 

 His left rested on a height where the road 

 made a sharp turn to the left, as it approached 

 Vicksburg. The top of the ridge and the 

 precipitous hillside to the left of the road were 

 covered by a dense forest and undergrowth. 

 To the right of the road the woods extended a 

 short distance down the hill, and then were 

 cultivated fields on a gentle slope spreading 

 into an extensive valley. Gen. Hovey's division 

 was disposed for the attack on the road and 

 into the wooded ravine and hillside, while 

 Gen. McPherson's force, excepting Gen. Ran- 

 som's brigade, which arrived after the battle, 

 were thrown to the right of the road, which 

 was properly the enemy's rear. Still Gen. 

 Grant would not allow an attack to be com- 

 menced by his troops until he could hear from 

 Gen. McClernand, who was advancing with four, 

 divisions, two of which were on a road inter- 

 secting the Jackson road about one mile from 

 the position occupied by the above-mentioned 

 troops, and about the centre of the enemy's 

 line ; the other two divisions were on a road 

 still farther north, and nearly the same distance 

 off. Learning that Gen. McClernand was dis- 

 tant two and a half miles, Gen. Grant sent or- 

 ders to him to push forward with all rapidity. 

 Meanwhile the continued firing between Gen. 

 Hovey's skirmishers and the enemy grew into 

 a battle by eleven o'clock. At first this divis- 

 ion bore the brunt of the conflict, but finding 

 the enemy too strong for them, one brigade 

 and then another of Gen. Crocker's division 

 of Gen. McPherson's corps was ordered to re- 

 enforce them. Meanwhile Gen. Logan's division 

 of McPherson's corps was working upon the 

 enemy's left and rear, which weakened exceed- 

 ingly their attack in front. Here their force 

 outnumbered the Federal force. Gen. McCler- 

 nand was, however, expected momentarily 

 upon the field. But he did not arrive until 

 the enemy had been driven from the field after 

 a terrible contest of hours, in which he met 

 with a heavy loss in killed, wounded, pris- 

 oners, and artillery. It appeared afterward 

 that the road to Vicksburg, after following the 

 ridge in a southerly direction about one mile, 

 intersecting one of the roads to Raymond, 

 turned almost to the west, down the hill and 

 across the valley in which Gen. Logan was op- 

 erating on the rear of the enemy. One brig- 

 ade of his division had, unconscious of this 

 fact, penetrated nearly to this road, and com- 

 pelled the enemy to retreat to avoid capture. 

 As it was, much of his artillery and Gen. Lor- 



