ing trains, and committing havoc which would paralyze the Confederate operations. If he could destroy the bridges it would prevent General Johnston from sending troops and supplies to Vicksburg or from gathering a Confederate army.

The preparations were made secretly. The Union soldiers did not know whither they were going. It was of the utmost importance that no one should know what Colonel Grierson intended to accomplish. He left behind all broken-down horses, all weak soldiers, took no provision train. He was to march swiftly. He reached the Tallahatchie River, crossed it near New Albany, hastened on to the town of Pontotoc, where several hundred bushels of salt were stored belonging to the Confederate Government, also a quantity of ammunition. The salt was destroyed, the ammunition captured. The rapid march had broken down a large number of horses and several men, who were sent back to La Grange with one of the cannon. Colonel Grierson had fifteen hundred men left. Each cavalryman carried eighty rounds of ammunition.

On the fifth day Colonel Hatch, with the Second Iowa and one cannon, turned east towards Columbus to destroy the railroad and to puzzle the Confederates. The movement would lead General Johnston to think that Grierson was intending to push east into Alabama. Colonel Hatch intended, after destroying the railroad, to sweep north-east and then northwest back to La Grange; but a Confederate force was gathering to intercept him, and he was obliged to turn south and rejoin Grierson. He lost ten men, but captured three hundred rifles and two hundred horses.

A general to be successful must plan to deceive his opponent. Colonel Grierson was in a hostile country, did not know the roads, was ignorant of the whereabouts of the Confederate forces, except that Pemberton was in Vicksburg, Gardner at Port Hudson, Bragg in Tennessee, and Johnston somewhere in Mississippi, exercising general supervision of the Confederate armies. It was necessary that Grierson should have a body of men always several miles in front or on his flanks to pick up information. He accordingly organized a company of scouts-brave, quick-witted men, who would never be caught napping, and who would always have ready a question or an answer. He armed and equipped them as Confederates, obtained butternut-colored clothing from the plantations, and supplied them with good horses. When they were fully equipped the members of their own regiments did not know them. They had signs to use in the daytime, passwords at night. They visited plantations, pretending to be Confederate soldiers, and were royally cared for by the planters, their wives and daughters.

"Have you seen any Yankee soldiers?" they asked.

"How lately have any Confederate soldiers been here?" "How far is it to the next town?"

"What roads should we take?"

Such were their questions. At Starkville Colonel Grierson found a shoe-factory which was manufacturing thousands of shoes for the Confederate Government, also a hat-factory-both of which were destroyed. He captured a Confederate quartermaster obtaining shoes for the army.

The rains had swollen the rivers, and a great flood was pouring down the Big Black, overflowing its banks. But Colonel Grierson was not to be turned back by high waters. He obtained a boat, in which the ammunition was carried over. The river was too deep to be forded, and the men swam their horses. Some were swept away by the swift current, others went far down stream, and were obliged to pick their way through swamps, but the brigade and cannon gained the southern bank at last.

The scouts captured a courier who was carrying despatches from Gen