CHAPTER XVI.
Starts for Grenada—Instructions—Is captured—Returns to Water Valley—Starts again—Arrives at Grenada—Condition of Price's army—He returns—Again sent to Grenada—Proposes some fun—Plan of strategy—Plan unnecessary—Returns with rebel cavalry—Bivouac at Big Springs—The attack—More fun than bargained for—The result.
Soon after I joined my regiment, the army advanced to the Yacona River, and the brigade to which I belonged was made the advanced post of infantry, and was stationed three miles south of the river. I had been with the brigade but a few days, when General Leggett requested me to make a trip to Grenada, a distance of thirty-two miles.
As General Grant's army had advanced, General Price's army had been forced back, and the movements of the Federal forces had been so skillfully managed as to cause Price, after evacuating his strong position at the Tallahatchie River, to make a hasty and rapid retreat to Grenada, which place he then occupied.
General Leggett wanted me to find out the strength and condition of Price's army; of what his force consisted, and, if possible, what were his intended movements.
I started out on foot, disguised like a rebel soldier, with a pass to Colonel Lee (since Brigadier-General), of the 7th Kansas Cavalry, stationed five miles in advance of the infantry, at a railroad station called Water Valley. I carried with me a request to Colonel Lee that he would pass me through his lines, if it would not interfere with his arrangements. The Colonel detained me over night, and then passed me through.
I went on through Coffeeville, and to within a mile of Grenada, without being molested. Not liking to venture in on the direct road from Water Valley, I turned to my left when within a mile of the place, calculating to enter the town on some other road. I had proceeded but a short distance, when I met three soldiers, dressed exactly like rebel soldiers, who captured me and made me turn back.
When we came back to the Water Valley road, I was surprised to find that I was being taken toward Water Valley instead of Grenada. I then found that I had been captured by soldiers belonging to the 7th Kansas Cavalry. I tried to make them believe that I was a Federal soldier, and was scouting for the Government, but it was of no avail; they were not to be persuaded out of their prisoner.
We had traveled but a few hundred yards after taking the Water Valley road, when we met a negro, who was riding a splendid mule, with a nice saddle, bridle, and spurs, and was carrying on the mule, in front of him, a sack of corn-meal.
"Halt, you black devil!" said one of the soldiers. "Get off from that mule and let white folks ride!"
The negro dismounted and turned over his establishment to me, and then, shouldering his meal, he resumed his way. I mounted the mule with a somewhat lighter heart than I had had at the prospect of walking all the way back.
When we arrived at Water Valley, I was taken to Colonel Lee, who, on inquiring of the soldiers where they caught me, elicited the fact that they had ran away from camp and gone to Grenada without leave.
"Go to your quarters, men," said the Colonel; "I'll take care of your prisoner now, and take care of you in the morning."
The next morning I started again for Grenada, mounted on the mule taken from the negro the night before, with a letter to Captain Townsend, who had been sent to the vicinity of Coffeeville, during the night, with a detachment of cavalry, requesting him, if admissible, to pass me on. On reporting to the Captain, he informed me that he had men deployed all through the country about Coffeeville, watching for rebel scouts and stragglers, and that it would be hazardous for me to undertake to get through, and advised me to remain with him until his men came in before attempting to go on.
It was so late in the afternoon when the cavalry came in that I concluded to remain with the Captain all night. In the morning I resumed my journey, and at 1 o'clock, P. M., without having experienced any difficulty in passing the rebel pickets, I entered Grenada.
The first thing that attracted my attention, was the suffering and destitute condition of the infantry and artillery soldiers. Very many of them were lame and foot-sore. Hundreds of them were barefooted, and very many of them were bare-headed, and all of them more or less ragged and destitute of blankets. Sickness prevailed to a great extent. The soldiers were loud in pronouncing curses upon General Sherman, whom they represented as having brought on much of their suffering by attempting to execute a flank movement upon them while in their intrenchments at the Tallahatchie River, which caused them to make a precipitate retreat to Grenada.
A Sergeant, in describing to me the retreat, said: "So closely were we pressed, that while camping at Water Valley for the night, after a hard day's march, we undertook to get some breakfast before resuming our march in the morning, and had hardly commenced when the Yankees commenced shelling us, and we had to leave. We then marched to the vicinity of Grenada, and there worked several hours at cutting down timber and forming abattis, to protect us from the Yankee cavalry, before resting long enough to get any thing to eat."
From such hardships and exposures, and the prevailing destitution of clothing at the worst season of the year, the men had become sick and disheartened. Artillery horses were in as bad a condition as the men, having been worked and short-fed until nearly starved. Large numbers of sick, lame, and foot-sore men were being sent on the cars to Jackson, Miss. The heavy artillery and commissary stores were also being sent there. Every thing indicated to me that General Price did not expect to hold the place.
As near as I could learn, General Price had had at the Tallahatchie 18,000 men; but the force then in Grenada did not exceed 12,000. What cavalry troops there were in the place seemed to be much better clad and in better spirits than the infantry or artillery.
I remained in Grenada two nights, and then started back. I took the road that leads to Pontotoc. I came out, and had proceeded but a short distance, when I was overtaken by three regiments of rebel cavalry. As they came up, I fell in with them and accompanied them. In conversation with one of the Captains, he told me that "they were on their way to assist General Van Dorn to make a raid upon Holly Springs and the railroad, to cut off the Yankee supplies." He expressed himself as very confident of success, and remarked that "if we can't whip the Yankees by force of arms, we can by starvation."
About twelve miles from Grenada, we came to a large plantation, owned by a wealthy planter by the name of Leggett. Mr. Leggett had evidently expected the cavalry along, and had caused to be prepared a large wagon-box of corn cakes, of about a pound and a half weight each, and a large quantity of fresh beef, cooked and cut up into pieces of about a pound each. As we passed, two large negroes handed each man a cake and a piece of meat. I received a share the same as the cavalry.
I continued on in company with the cavalry until about the middle of the afternoon, when I concluded I had gone far enough on that road. I then dashed on ahead of the cavalry to a piece of woodland, where I dismounted and sat down, as if to rest myself, and remained there until the cavalry had all passed on out of sight. I then mounted, and started across the country toward Water Valley. A few minutes travel brought me into a road that led direct to the place.
When I arrived at the picket lines, the guards arrested me and took me to the Colonel of the 3d Michigan Cavalry, who sent me to Colonel Lee. I reported to him the three regiments of cavalry that I had accompanied out, and he immediately started in pursuit of them. I learned afterward that the chase was kept up to the Rocky Ford, on the Tallahatchie River. On reporting to General Leggett, he expressed himself well pleased with the result of my trip, and requested me to make another to the same place, which I accordingly undertook to do.
Early the next morning I was again on my way to Grenada, mounted on a mule, and disguised as before. At Water Valley I found the 3d Michigan Cavalry still encamped, and called upon the Colonel, whose name I have forgotten. I told him that I was going into Grenada, and that if he wanted a little fun, I would decoy out a regiment of rebel cavalry to a place within twelve miles of him, on the Pontotoc road, known as the Big Spring. The spring, from its distance from Grenada and the abundance of water that it afforded, and the excellent ground about it for camping purposes, made a fine natural place for troops passing out from Grenada to halt for the night.
I told the Colonel that I would go into Grenada and see what cavalry was in there, and select the regiment that I wanted; and then I would go to General Price and tell him that I knew of three companies of Lincoln cavalry, camped near the Pontotoc road, a long distance from support, watching to pick up "our" couriers and small parties that happened to pass that way, and if he would let that regiment go, I would guide it so that it could surround the Lincolnites and capture the last one of them. I also told the Colonel that he could take his regiment over to the place the next night, and then, early next morning, crawl close up to the rebels, and suddenly rise up and pour in five volleys into them, in quick succession, from their five-shooting carbines (the regiment was armed with five-shooters), which would so surprise and terrify them that they would break and run without stopping for guns, horses, or any thing else, and that he would be able to capture the most of their arms and horses, and very many of the men.
The Colonel seemed pleased with my proposals, and promised to have his regiment there in time. I had no doubts whatever about my ability to decoy a regiment out there, but I was not so sure that the Colonel had confidence enough in me to keep his promise. With the understanding, however, that I was to return the next day with a regiment of cavalry, I resumed my journey.
I halted for the night a short distance out from Grenada, and early the next morning I started in. At the bridge across the Yallabusha River, about half a mile from town, I came to the rebel pickets. They manifested some hesitation about passing me, and asked me various questions about where I lived and what I wanted to go in for, etc. While they were questioning me, a regiment of cavalry made its appearance, coming out. I did not press the pickets to pass me, but remained in conversation with them until the cavalry came out, and then fell in and went along with them.
My prospects now seemed bright. The regiment coming out would answer my purpose, provided it went far enough, and had saved me the trouble of carrying out my strategy. I soon found out that it was a Texas regiment, and, like the three regiments I had accompanied on a former trip, they were on their way to report to General Van Dorn. Having found that out, I felt almost sure that they would halt for the night at the desired place.
The sun was about an hour high when we arrived at the Big Spring, and my anxiety was considerably relieved by the regiment coming to a halt. Preparations were made for the night—horses fed, supper prepared, and a picket thrown out on the road to Water Valley, but on no other.
Long before daylight in the morning, the men were up feeding their horses and preparing breakfast for an early start. At the approach of daylight, the pickets were drawn in. My anxiety for the appearance of the Federal cavalry now became intense. Not a movement could I see that indicated their approach. Not a suspicion had yet been excited among my grayback companions. How I longed to hear the crack of those revolving carbines!
Breakfast was now ready, and all fell to work at it with a hearty relish. I took some in my hands, and seated myself near a large oak tree, and began to eat, wondering whether the Colonel really would come. The moments seemed unusually long, and, as I occasionally glanced my eyes toward the place where I had hoped the cavalry would make its appearance, all was quiet. I had come to the conclusion that the Colonel had failed to fulfill his promise, when, Bang! bang! crash! crash! went the carbines in a perfect roar of musketry, and the air was filled with whizzing bullets. I instantly sprang behind the oak tree and stood there. So sudden had been the attack, that, although I had been looking for it, a volley was fired before I was aware of the approach of the regiment. The leaden messengers came in much greater profusion and closer proximity to my person than I ever want them again. But such a panic, such confusion, such running, such scrambling was never seen before! It was beyond description. Some fled without horses or arms; some cut the halters of their horses and mounted without arms or saddles—all were terribly frightened.
Myself and sixty others were captured, and as many horses and twice as many saddles and arms, with their accouterments. Eight men were killed, and several horses and quite a number of men were wounded. The rebs fired but a very few scattering shots, and not a man of the Federals was injured.
It was a brilliant success, but for a few minutes rather serious fun. The Colonel played his part with admirable ability. After the stores were gathered up, I was released, and we returned to camp. During my absence, the brigade to which I belonged had advanced to Water Valley, at which place I found it.