AKMY OPERATIONS. 



67 



residences. The Bite of the city, upon the 

 right bank of the Pearl river a stream of rare 

 beauty is very fine. The business portion is 

 divided into small lots, and the buildings, gen- 

 erally of brick, are placed in compact blocks. 

 The portion for residences, however, is in 

 marked contrast with the other. Here the 

 lots contain from one acre to five, and in the 

 suburbs over ten acres, according to the ability 

 or taste of the owners. These grounds are 

 laid off in excellent taste. Neatly trimmed 

 hedges line the gravelled walks. The lux- 

 uriant shrubbery and gorgeous flowers of the 

 genial South greet the eye in endless pro- 

 fusion and variety. Beautiful arbors, in some 

 cool, shady spot, invite the stranger. And 

 trees, loaded with ripened figs and peaches, 

 and all that is delicious, bend to the hand that 

 will pluck their treasures. In the midst, as 

 far as possible removed from the dust and din 

 of the street, and embowered in magnificent 

 liveoaks and grand old cedars, stand the man- 

 sions. They are as different as the varied 

 tastes and conditions of their respective own- 

 ers, but they all bear an air of comfort and 

 luxury, which proclaims the cultivated tastes 

 and generous fortunes of their occupants. The 

 buildings are not only models of architectural 

 taste, but they are furnished with unusual 

 richness, amounting in many cases to extrava- 

 gance. This was the Jackson of the past. The 

 Jackson of to-day is quite another place, for 

 the fortunes of war have borne heavily upon 

 it. The penitentiary, one of her fine hotels, 

 her cotton factory, founderies, a whole block 

 of stores, several warehouses, and the railroad 

 bridge and depot buildings were destroyed 

 while the Federal troops occupied the city in 

 May. The reoccupation and evacuation by 

 the Confederate armies cost her another large 

 block of stores and the other hotel. The pres- 

 ent occupation by the Federal army has well- 

 nigh served to blot the place from existence. 

 The first few hours were devoted by our sol- 

 diers to ransacking the town, and appropria- 

 ting whatever of value or otherwise pleased 

 their fancy, or to the destruction of such arti- 

 cles as they were unable to appreciate or re- 

 move. Pianos and articles of furniture were 

 demolished, libraries were torn to pieces and 

 trampled in the dust, pictures thrust through 

 with bayonets, windows broken and doors torn 

 from their hinges. Finally, after every other 

 excess had been committed in the destruction 

 of property, the torch was applied. From 

 that hour to the present, there has scarcely 

 been a moment when the citizens could not 

 walk the streets by the light of blazing build- 

 ings. The entire business portion of the city 

 is in ruins, with the exception of a few old 

 frame buildings, which the citizens must have 

 long regarded as an injury to the place. One 

 residence after another has been burned, until 

 none of the really fine ones remain, save those 

 occupied as quarters by some of our general 

 officers. The State house and court house 



and insane asylum are preserved and under 

 guard. It is not improbable, however, that 

 they, together with all the remaining residen- 

 ces worth anything, will be fired by our rear 

 guard when we leave the city to-night. Of 

 the Jackson of a few days ago, not above 

 one fourth of the houses remain, and they 

 are nearly all the residences of the poorer 

 classes." 



Another circumstance attended the return of 

 the force of Gen. Sherman to Vicksbnrg, which 

 is so peculiar to army movements into the 

 Southern States, that a mention of it should 

 not be omitted. 



The return of the army from Jackson was 

 the occasion of a remarkable exodus of negroes. 

 There were few able-bodied young men among 

 them, for it is the policy of the masters to 

 move that class farther south, and leave only 

 the old and helpless behind them. But all the 

 old men and women and the young children in 

 the whole region of country around Jackson 

 those who have been a burden upon their mas- 

 ters, and will necessarily be dependent on our 

 charity accompanied the army on its return, 

 in large numbers. Every species of vehicle, 

 and an untold number of broken-down horses 

 and mules, were pressed into the service by 

 the contrabands en route for Vicksburg. Their 

 effects consisted of a wonderful quantity of 

 old clothing and bedding, and dilapitated furni- 

 ture, which they seemed to regard as of ines- 

 timable value. The transportation, however, 

 was not sufficient for all, and hundreds, carry- 

 ing as many as possible of the movable arti- 

 cles, trudged along on foot. All seemed anima- 

 ted by a fear that our rear guard would over- 

 take, pass, and le^ve them behind, and such a 

 straining of energies, hurrying and bustling, 

 were never before known among the whole 

 black creation. The soldiers were particularly 

 struck with the ludicrous appearance presented 

 by the darkies, and the tedium and fatigue of 

 the march were often relieved by good jokes 

 cracked at their expense, which served to con- 

 vulse the whole brigade with laughter. 



" The minds of all of them are filled with 

 the most extravagant ideas of the North. It is 

 to them a country of ease and plenty and hap- 

 piness, and say and do what you will, as soon 

 as the military blockade is made less stringent, 

 they will go North, if they accomplish the dis- 

 tance on foot. They don't feel safe here, not 

 even those whose owners are dead." 



A military and naval force was sent to Ya- 

 zoo City, on the 13th. It took three hundred 

 prisoners, captured one steamer and burned 

 five, 'took sfx cannon, two hundred and fifty 

 small arms, and eight hundred horses and 

 mules. No loss on our side was reported. 

 Small expeditions were also sent against Can- 

 ton, Pontotoc, Granada, and Natchez, Missis- 

 sippi. At Granada, a large amount of railroad 

 rolling stock was destroyed. The. other expe- 

 ditions were also successful, meeting with very 

 little opposition. As soon as his army was 



