to fall back, but as it was dark he was not pursued far until daylight. Early on that morning Grant went out, accompanied by the members of his staff, and found McCler nand with his corps engaging the enemy about four miles, from Port Gibson. At this point the roads branched in opposite directions, both, however, leading to Port Gibson. The enemy had taken position on both branches, thus dividing, as he fell back, the pursuing forces, the nature of the ground being, such that a very small force could retard the progress of a much larger one for many hours. The Confederate General Bowen had come down from Vicksburg, and was in the position where the whole of Pemberton's army ought to have been. With less than 6000 men he made a strong resistance, and, though after hard fighting he was driven from both roads, he retired in good order. Grant's loss was 130 killed, 780 wounded. He captured 3 guns, 4 flags, and 580 prisoners. The Confederates continued their retreat through Port Gibson, and beyond the Bayou Pierre. They burned the bridges across the forks of the bayou, and fell back next day to the north side of the Big Black River, having blown up the maga zine, spiked the guns, and abandoned Grand Gulf on the night of the 1st of May.

Grant now changed his base of supplies from Bruinsburg to Grand Gulf, and paused at Hankinson's Ferry for Sherman to come up.

Sherman crosses the river.

Sherman crossed the river on the 7th of May. That day Grant ordered a general movement on two parallel roads on the southeast bank of the Big Black, McPherson keeping the road nearest the river, McClernand moving on the ridge road, and Sherman, his corps divided, following them both.

McPherson, on advancing toward Raymond, met two brigades of the enemy under Gregg and Walkagain defeated near er, which he defeated after a very sharp conflict. They lost 103 killed, and 720 wounded

The Confederates

Raymond.

and prisoners. Grant's loss was 69 killed, 341 wounded, and 32 missing.

The Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston had been placed by the Richmond government in command of their military operations in the southwest. His head-quarters were with Bragg at Tullahoma. Alarmed at what was now taking place in the vicinity of Vicksburg, he had collected all disposable troops, and was hastening to make a junction with Pemberton. Grant, perceiving his intention, spared no exertion to intervene between them.

city of Jackson.

McPherson's column was directed on Jackson by the Clinton Road. It reached the railroad near Clinton at 2 P.M., May 13, and destroyed a section to prevent supplies going to Vicksburg. Sherman was moved on the Raymond Road. When within two miles of Jackson, Grant captures the both columns met the enemy, and drove him through the place toward Canton. Grant entered the city with Sherman's head of column. His soldiers patrolled the streets, collecting the prisoners at the State-house. While the citizens were looking sullenly from behind screens and closed window-blinds, leering negroes were giggling on the sidewalks. The governor and state treasurer, terror-stricken at the thunder-bolt that had so unexpectedly fallen on them, took to flight, carrying with them the state papers and funds. Here Grant found that Johnston had arrived, and had ordered Pemberton to leave Vicksburg.

Pemberton.

Directing Sherman to remain in Jackson long enough to Then he turns upon destroy every thing that could be of value to the enemy, Grant now faced round for the purpose of pushing the vacillating Pemberton before him so vigorously as to render his junction with Johnston hopeless, and to shut him up in Vicksburg. Intervening between the two Confederate armies, Grant, with his right hand, was warding off Johnston, with his left he was de livering against Pemberton mortal blows. He ordered

McPherson to retrace his steps with all speed on the Clinton Road, and McClernand to move toward Edwards's Station, marching so as to feel the enemy, but not to bring on a general engagement unless he was confident that he could win.

General Johnston, who was probably the ablest officer in the Confederate service, had fully recognized in the mil itary genius manifested in the conception of the campaign, and the terrible energy with which it was being executed, the formidable character of his antagonist, and that Pemberton, though animated with the best intentions, was ut terly inadequate to the occasion.

movements.

With incredible folly, Pemberton expected by a movePemberton's false ment toward Raymond to cut Grant's line of communications, when, in fact, Grant had cut it himself: his men were carrying their supplies with them, and hastening with no uncertain steps to establish a new base on the Yazoo. On the 15th Pemberton set out from Edwards's Station toward Raymond, while at that instant Grant was making forced marches westward. Pemberton, when too late, saw his danger, and was compelled to order a movement backward, and, indeed, to attempt to pass north of the railroad, so as to unite with Johnston, who long before had directed him to make this northward move. In doing this he had now to cross Grant's front, and was caught in the act of so doing. He was thus constrained to fight the battle of Champion Hills, and had to fight it alone. A man who had ostensibly been drummed out of Memphis as a rebel, but who was, in fact, a spy, brought Grant a dispatch, which Johnston had intrusted to him, instructing Pemberton to attack Sherman at Clinton.

pion Hills.

Before dawn on the 16th Grant had also learned, from. The battle of Cham- two railroad employés who had passed through the Confederate army the night before, that it consisted of about 25,000 men and 10 batteries of artillery. He also learned its position. He therefore ordered Sher-.

man to come up instantly to Bolton; and with so much activity did that general move, that his advance division was in motion one hour after the order was received. Grant himself, at an early hour, had reached the crossing of the Jackson Railroad with the road from Raymond to Bolton, and there had found McPherson's advance and his pioneer corps engaged in rebuilding a bridge. The train of Hovey's division was blocking up the road; he ordered it aside, and pushed the troops through. Passing to the front, he found Hovey getting into line, and nearly ready for battle. The enemy, from 23,000 to 26,000 strong, had taken up a position on a narrow ridge, his left resting on a height where the road makes a sharp turn to the left, approaching Vicksburg. Grant did not wish the attack to begin before he could hear from McClernand, to whom he sent messages to press forward rapidly. Firing, however, commenced, and by 11 o'clock it increased to a battle. For a while Hovey's division bore the brunt of the conflict; but, the enemy proving too strong, that division had to be re-enforced. Meantime Logan's division was working to the enemy's left and rear, and greatly weakening his resistance on the front. Grant had no fear for the issue, knowing that McClernand would presently be up. Before he arrived, however, the Confederates had totally defeated. been driven from the field, after a fierce conflict, with heavy loss. It was subsequently found that the Vicksburg road, after following the ridge in a southerly direction for about a mile, turns almost to the west, across the valley in which Logan was operating in the rear of the enemy. One of Logan's brigades, without knowing this important fact, had penetrated nearly to this road, and compelled the Confederates to retreat to prevent capture. As it was, much of their artillery was taken, and Loring's division of their army narrowly escaped, being compelled to retreat southward. The battle of Champion Hills was fought mainly by Hovey's division of McClernand's corps,

The Confederates

and by Logan's and Quimby's divisions of McPherson's corps. Grant's losses were 2457, of whom 426 were killed. The Confederate losses in killed and wounded were probably not less, and, in addition, 2000 prisoners were captured from them. Among their killed was General Tilghman, who had formerly defended Fort Henry (vol. ii., p. 262). He was struck by a fragment of shell, and died almost instantly.

Black River.

On the morning of the 17th the pursuit was continued, Battle of the Big With McClernand's corps in advance. Sherman, who was at Bolton, was ordered to turn northward to Bridgeport. The enemy was found strongly posted on both sides of the Big Black River. Here, on the west bank, the bluffs extend to the water's edge; on the east is an open cultivated space, nearly a mile in width, surrounded by a bayou of stagnant water from two to three feet in depth, and from ten to twenty in width, reaching from the river above the railroad to the river below. On the inside line of the bayou, which therefore served as a ditch in his front, the enemy had constructed rifle-pits. At this point Carr's division of McClernand's corps was checked for some time, until Lawler, who commanded the right brigade, discovered that by moving under cover of the riverbank he could gain a point from which the position could be successfully assaulted. Notwithstanding the level ground over which a portion of the troops had to pass, and the obstacle of the ditch in front of the enemy's works, the charge was successfully made. No shot was fired until the water was crossed; then a volley was given, and, without reloading, the position was carried with the bayonet. A great number of prisoners and seventeen pieces of artillery were the trophies of this brilliant and daring movement. A temporary bridge had been constructed of a steam-boat by Pemberton, and over this and the railroad bridge a portion of the fugitives escaped, and then set the bridges on fire.