In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

215 9. The Meridian Expedition On January 27, 1864, all the cavalry of the Department of the Tennessee was, by the orders of General W. T. Sherman, assigned to the command of Brigadier General W. Sooy Smith, U.S. Volunteers. The latter did not issue any orders formally assuming command of the cavalry, but took direct control or general supervision, giving such verbal or written instructions from time to time as he deemed necessary. In accordance with General Smith’s wish, the orders for the movement of the brigades and the necessary instructions to the officers of the quartermaster’s, commissary , and ordnance departments were issued from my headquarters. I started on the expedition, however, with the feeling that I was really a supernumerary, as General Smith’s presence prevented me from controlling the movements of the division as a whole. By direction of General Smith, I with the officers of my staff accompanied the Third [Second] Brigade (Hatch’s), which was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William P. Hepburn, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, and which composed the column marching on the right. The First Brigade, commanded by Colonel Waring, was on the left, and the Third Brigade, consisting mainly of the troops brought through from Nashville by General Smith, formed the center column and was assigned to the command of Colonel LaFayette McCrillis, 3rd Illinois Cavalry, the total strength, including the 4th U.S. Cavalry—escort for General Smith—being about 7,500 enlisted men and officers. The Second Brigade, with which I marched, was in readiness to move on February 1, but by direction of General Smith it remained in camp at Germantown until the 11th day of that month. The Third Brigade started from Collierville, Tennessee, on the 10th and encamped that night near Byhalia, Mississippi, where it remained during the day and night of the 11th, and then moved on southward on the morning of February 12 towards Holly Springs. The First Brigade, Colonel Waring’s, which left Union City, Tennessee, January 22, 1864, and for which General Smith waited, did not reach Collierville until February 8, being eighteen days on the way. Nor did The Meridian Expedition • 216 it leave the latter point and start on the expedition until the afternoon of the 11th. The First and Third brigades were kept almost constantly under the direct orders or control of General Smith. The Second Brigade left Germantown at 3 o’clock a.m. on February 11, marched southward keeping up communication with the Third Brigade, and without meeting any opposition from the enemy worthy of notice, crossed the Tallahatchie River on February 14 and encamped five miles south of New Albany, where it was joined the same day by the Third Brigade . By direction of General Smith, both brigades were thus held from five to ten miles south of the Tallahatchie until the morning of February 17 to await the tardy movements of the First Brigade under the command of Colonel Waring, reported lost in the woods and hills of Tippah County, Mississippi. While thus delayed, we had heavy rains. But, as we had no wagons with us, that need not have detained us. At that point we overtook a Mrs. Dunlop with her family and servants, with an outfit of one or two ambulances , moving southward. Not deeming it prudent to allow anyone to pass through our lines towards the enemy, I caused her detention. She stopped at a house near our headquarters. During the delay, we received two notes from her: the first, thanking us for kindness, stated that she fully appreciated our motives in detaining her and would make the best of the situation; the second stating that the lunch she had prepared on leaving Holly Springs had been exhausted and the family with whom she was stopping was about out of provisions, and requesting assistance. As we were living to some extent on the country, we sent out a foraging party and abundantly supplied her and the family which was entertaining her with such provisions as the country afforded. She was an agreeable little lady. We sympathized with her and did all we properly could to render her any needful assistance. When we left there, we moved south some distance, and then east to the Memphis and Charleston [Mobile and Ohio] Railroad. Not wishing Mrs. Dunlop to proceed until we had unmasked our own movements, we advised her to remain quietly where she was a day or two...

Share