Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/650

Rh the town and ravaging the surrounding country, in order to make the place untenable by Confederate forces. On the 18th he reported to Grant: "We have made fine progress to-day in the work of destruction. Jackson will no longer be a point of danger. The land is devastated for thirty miles around." After sending an expedition against Canton, the troops started back to Vicksburg. On the 21st Sherman sent word to Grant that he had promised 200 barrels of flour and 20,000 pounds of pork, or equivalents, to the inhabitants, as there were about 800 women and children who would perish unless they received some relief. Grant promptly honored the requisition.

On July 13th a Federal expedition under General Herron arrived at Yazoo City in transports, accompanied by a gunboat flotilla. Commander Isaac N. Brown was there, with the few boats that he had improvised, and a small garrison in the fortifications. He repulsed the gunboats at first, and blew up the Federal ironclad De Kalb, with thirteen guns, by a torpedo explosion, but was forced to burn his own flotilla and evacuate the position. At Natchez on the same day, Brigadier-General Ransom landed and occupied the town, whence he made expeditions to destroy military property at Liberty, and a cotton factory and railroad transportation at Woodville. But this field of destruction was soon restricted by the approach of J. L. Logan's cavalry in Mississippi and Harrison’s cavalry on the west bank of the river.

During the siege of Vicksburg there had been various raids and reconnoissances in northern Mississippi from the Federal posts in Tennessee and at Corinth. General Chalmers was also active in the northeast, embarrassing the enemy’s transportation on the river. Col. Wirt Adams engaged Federal gunboats with his artillery at Liverpool Landing, May 20th-23d. Col. R. McCulloch's cavalry fought with an expedition from La Grange in the Senatobia swamp, May 23d. Colonel Slemons, about the