Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/688

Rh and everything calculated to impede their progress. While Buford continued the pursuit, Forrest, with Bell's brigade, endeavored to cut off the retreat at Salem, but was unable to come up with the routed foe. On the return march to the battlefield, several hundred prisoners were taken from their hiding-places in the woods.

In this remarkable battle of June 10, 1864, called Tishomingo Creek, or Brice's Cross-roads, Forrest had an available force of 3,500. His loss was 96 killed and 396 wounded. The two Mississippi regiments engaged, Eighth and Eighteenth, suffered an aggregate loss of 107. The Federal report of loss was 223 killed, 394 wounded and 1,623 missing. The entire train of 250 wagons, sixteen pieces of artillery, 5,000 stand of small arms, and 500,000 rounds of ammunition fell into the hands of the Confederates.

The Federal authorities at once began preparations for another expedition against Forrest, the disaster at Tishomingo being accounted for, partly by blaming Sturgis for lack of generalship, and by exaggerated reports of the Confederate strength, which was said to be 15,000 to 20,000 men. Gen. A. J. Smith's division, which had returned from the Red river fiasco, was detailed for the duty of again attacking Forrest, whose name had become a terror, and orders came to Sherman from Grant before Petersburg that Smith must find Forrest, whip him and follow him as long as his command held together.

While this new expedition was getting ready, 3,000 men moved from Vicksburg under H. W. Slocum, and occupying Jackson, destroyed the railroad bridge which had been built. Gen. Wirt Adams, who skirmished vigorously with the enemy as he approached Jackson, again attacked as he withdrew, early on the morning of July 7th, inflicting severe loss with his infantry and artillery fire. An intrepid charge, made in an attempt to capture the wagon train, won the admiring comment of the Federal commanders in their official reports. But