Four Years a Scout and Spy / "General Bunker", One of Lieut. General Grant's Most Daring and Successful Scouts, Being a Narrative of ... the Experience of Corporal Ruggles During Four Years' Service as a Scout and Spy for the Federal Army

by E. C. Downs

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.