place, many officers who had been commanding little squads as companies were thrown out of office. This occasioned great dissatisfaction, and about one-third of the recruits deserted and went back to West Tennessee. Before this organization was completed, General Sherman commenced his movements in Mississippi.
THE DEFEAT OF GENERAL W. SOOY SMITH.
On the 3d of February, 1864, General Sherman began his movement from Vicksburg to Meridian, Mississippi, and at the same time sent a force up by Yazoo City, to take Forrest in rear at Grenada, and ordered General W. Sooy Smith to "move from Collierville on Pontotoc and Okalona," &c., and to meet him at Meridian, Mississippi, as near the 10th of February as he could.
General Sherman says "General Polk seemed to have no suspicion of our intention to disturb him." If this were true, he certainly could not say the same thing of Forrest. He knew that Smith's cavalry was preparing to move some time before it did move. On the 8th two infantry columns moved—one on Panola and the other on Wyatt—and on the 9th, one day before the cavalry started, Forrest, then at Oxford, telegraphed Chalmers, at Panola, to skirmish with the infantry, but that this was a feint, and he must be ready to intercept the cavalry, which he predicted would strike for Columbus and the prairie country of east Mississippi, where we had government works and a large quantity of corn. McCulloch's and Richardson's brigades were then stretched out from Panola to Abbeville, watching the crossings of the Tallahatchie river, while Jeff. Forrest's brigade was at Grenada, watching the forces at Yazoo City, and Bell, at Oxford, organizing. On the 10th Smith started from Collierville. On the 11th McCulloch moved to Oxford on converging lines with him. By the 14th it was manifest that Smith was moving for the prairie, and Forrest ordered a concentration of his command near West Point to intercept him, and this was accomplished by the 18th—Jeff. Forrest reaching there on the 17th. His brigade was thrown forward towards Aberdeen, and continued skirmishing with the enemy until the 20th. On the 20th Bell's brigade was sent to keep on the flank of the enemy and cover Columbus, and McCulloch and Richardson moved up to support Jeff. Forrest, and all fell back, slowly skirmishing to West Point. A telegram received here announced that General S. D. Lee, with three brigades, would be with us early on the 22d, and Forrest retired behind Suqua-ton-cha creek, of steep banks and miry bottom, and over which there were but few bridges, easily defended. This was a perfectly safe position, where he could easily hold the enemy in check until Lee could arrive. Smith was in a complete cul-de-sac, formed by the Suqua-ton-cha on his right, the Tibbee before him, and the Tombigbee on his left; and Lee and Forrest united could have crossed the Suqua-ton-cha behind him and captured his command. Early on the morning of the 21st a heavy fire was opened on our
