ARMY OPERATIONS. 



45 



a force of about five thousand men under Gen. 

 Loring, and at Meridian Gen. Polk with ten 

 thousand more. The latter officer was in com- 

 mand of the department. 



The preparations for Gen. Sherman's expe- 

 dition had attracted the attention of the en- 

 emy, and many unaware of the difficulties of 

 such a movement across the country, had sup- 

 posed his object might be an attack on Mobile. 

 The uncertainty which existed is shown by 

 the following order, issued at a later date : 



MOBILE, February 10, 1861. 



DEAR SIR : I have just been informed by General 

 Polk that the enemy is moving from Morton against 

 Mobile. It is, therefore, my duty to ask all persons 

 who cannot take part in th"e defence of the city to 

 leave it. 



I am, sir, very respectfullv vonrs, 



DABNEY MAURY, 

 Major-General Commanding. 

 To Col. Jonx roESTin, Mobile. 



The Governor of Alabama, upon the first 

 advance of the Federal troops from Yicksburg, 

 issued the following address to the people : 



EXECUTIVE DEPABTMENT OF ALABAMA, ) 

 MONTGOMERY, February 6, 1S64. j 

 To the People of Alabama : 



The recent action of Congress has deprived the 

 State of much of the materials of the second-class 

 militia. It is important to the defence of the State, 

 that Alabama shall have more troops subject to the 

 call of her Commander-in-chief. We have, within 

 the State, the materials for an efficient army. It 

 needs nothing but the spirit, the prompt and willing 

 spirit to fight, as men ought to fight, to guard our 

 firesides and drive the hording Yankee from our bor- 

 ders. We are threatened with raids into the heart 

 of the State. 



As your Executive Chief I call upon the middle 

 aged, the young men and boys, to organize into com- 

 panies at once, and report, without delay, that they 

 are organized and ready. I cannot suppose that 

 Alabamians will wait to be drafted into the service. 

 The enthusiastic reenlistment of our veteran troops 

 in the Virginia and Tennessee armies has caused a 

 thrill of joyful hope to animate the hearts of even 

 the croaking and despondent. If these battle-scarred 

 heroes, who for three years have carried their lives 

 in their hands, ready to be sacrificed in the defence 

 of their homes and liberty, are willing to battle on 

 while the feet of a hated foe press our soil, shall we 

 at home be laggards in the race of glory '? I trust 

 no such damning stigma shall rest upon the honored 

 name of Alabama. 



I confidently expect a hearty, prompt, and noble 

 response toth'is call. 



The rolls of companies will be reported to the 

 Adjutant-General. 



T. II. WATTS, Governor of Alabama. 



The force of Gen. Sherman consisted of 

 two corps under Gen. McPherson and Hurl- 

 but, estimated at thirty thousand men, with 

 sixty pieces of light artillery. He reached 

 Jackson on February 6th, and pressed forward 

 toward Meridian. The enemy fell back, de- 

 stroying all provision, and making a desert of 

 the country. From Jackson Gen. Sherman 

 crossed the Pearl River, and passed through 

 Brandon to Morton. Here the enemy had 

 made dispositions for a battle, but retired during 

 the night. On the next day the army advanced 

 ?.nd reached Meridian. The enemy state that 

 all the Confederate Government property was 



previously removed, and nearly all the machi- 

 nery of the railroad company. The force under 

 Gen. Polk fell back across the Tombigbee. On 

 his arrival at Meridian Gen. Sherman issued 

 the following congratulatory address to his 

 troops : 



HEADQUABTEBS, DEPAKTMENT or THE TEN-SI 



Mr.p.iDiAN, Miss., February 15. 1^'.'4. t" 



The General Commanding conveys his congratu- 

 lations and thanks to the officers and men composing 

 this command for their most successful accomplish- 

 ment of one of the great problems of the war. 

 Meridian, the great railway centre of the Southwest, 

 is now in our possession, and by industry and hard 

 work can be rendered useless to the enemy, and de- 

 prive him of the chief source of supply to his armies. 

 Secrecy in plan and rapidity of execution accomplish 

 the best results of war; and the General Command- 

 ing assures all that by following their leaders fear- 

 lessly and with confidence they will in time reap the 

 rewa'rd so dear to us all a peace that will never again 

 be disturbed in our country by a discontented mi- 

 nority. 



By order of W. T. SHERMAN, 



Major-General Commanding. 



On the same day he issued the following in- 

 structions : 



HEADQCAETER?, DEPARTMENT OF TEE TENNESSEE, / 

 MERIDIAN, Miss., February 15, 1S&1. j 



1. The destruction of the railroads intersecting at 

 Meridian is of great importance, and should be done 

 most effectually. Every tie and rail for many miles 

 in each direction should be absolutely destroyed or 

 injured, and every bridge and culvert should be com- 

 pletely destroyed. To insure this end, to General 

 Hurlbut is entrusted the destruction east and north, 

 and to General McPherson the roads west and south. 

 The troops should be impressed with the importance 

 of this work, and also that time is material, and 

 therefore it should be begun at once and be prose- 

 cuted with all the energy possible. Working parties 

 should be composed of about one-half the command, 

 and they should move by regiments, provided with 

 their arms and haversacks, ready to repel attacks of 

 cavalry. The other half in reserve will be able to 

 watch "the enemy retreating eastward. 



2. Colonel E. F. Winslow, commanding cavalry, 

 will keep his cavalry in advance of the party work- 

 ing eastward, and will act as though this army were 

 slowly pursuing the enemy. 



8. Special instructions will be given as to the gen- 

 eral supply train ; and the troops now in Meridian 

 will, under proper brigade parties, collect meal, 

 meat, and supplies. The destruction of buildings 

 must be deferred till the last moment, when a special 

 detail will be made for that purpose. 



By order of W. T. SHERMAX, 



Major-General Commanding. 



Gen. Sherman reports that while at Meridian 

 he mad* "the most complete destruction of 

 railroads ever beheld." This was done on the 

 road running south as far as Quitman ; on the 

 east as far as Cuba Station, twenty miles ; and 

 two miles north to Lauderdale Springs. Lau- 

 derdalo County was already desolate, and the 

 country between Meridian and Demopolis was 

 sterile and unproductive. "While at Meridian 

 he heard nothing of the cavalry force under 

 Gen. TV. S. Smith, who was ordered to be there 

 from Memphis by February 10th; and after oc- 

 cupying the town for a week, and his supplies 

 growing short, he began to fall back toward 

 Yicksburg, making a circuit by the north tc 

 Canton. This place was reached February 



