Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/683

196 Col. Edward Crossland, Col. Hylan B. Lyon — Fourth brigade, Tennessee cavalry, Col. Tyree H. Bell.

Southern district, Brig.-Gen. Wirt Adams commanding: Wirt Adams' division—Scott's brigade, Col. John S. Scott: Scott's Louisiana regiment, Wingfield's Louisiana battalion, Col. Frank P. Powers' Louisiana and Mississippi regiment, Colonel Gober's command, Maj. F. N. Ogden's battalion, Col. B. D. Lay's cavalry —Wood's brigade, Col. Robert C. Wood, Jr.: Wood's regiment, Lieut.-Col. George Moorman's Mississippi battalion—Gholson's brigade, Brig.-Gen. Samuel J. Gholson: Mississippi regiments of Col. Thomas C. Ashcroft, Col. T. W. Ham, Col. William L. Lowry, Col. John McQuirk—Mabry's brigade. Col. Hinchie P. Mabry: Colonel Dumonteil's Fourth Confederate; Fourth Mississippi, Col. C. C. Wilbourn; Sixth, Col. Isham Harrison; Thirty-eighth infantry, mounted, Col. Preston Brent.

In Forrest's command, including a brigade of Roddy's Alabama cavalry, there were present for duty in June in round numbers 650 officers and 7,200 men; in Wirt Adams' division, 360 officers and 4,200 men. At the posts of Demopolis, Meridian and Selma were about 1,900 more. The effective total for the department was reported at a trifle over 13,000; aggregate present, 16,000. Artillery, 16 pieces with Forrest and 11 with Adams.

On the 1st of June an imposing expedition set out from Memphis to attack General Forrest at Tupelo, disperse his forces and destroy the Mobile & Ohio railroad which had been rebuilt as far north as Corinth. This Federal force included 3,300 cavalry, 5,000 infantry, 16 pieces of artillery and a train of 250 wagons, and marched under the command of Gen. S. D. Sturgis. On the 9th of June it was approaching Guntown. General Forrest had been ordered almost simultaneously to destroy Sherman's railroad communications in middle Tennessee, but being informed of Sturgis' approach made preparations to meet him with Buford's division, Rucker's brigade, and Col.