Warfare of the Nineteenth Century
From the editor: Despite the fact that William Sooy Smith's cavalry fails to show up anywhere near Meridian, Mississippi, allowing time for the removal of all the Confederate military supplies and rolling stock in the vicinity, William T. Sherman classifies his raid as "successful in the highest degree." Leonidas Polk's swift retreat across the Tombigbee River allows Sherman time to "smash things at pleasure." Sherman remarks: "I think it is well done. We broke absolutely and effectively a full hundred miles of railroad… and made a swath of destruction fifty miles across the State of Mississippi which the present generation will not forget.” The devastation appalls Stephen D. Lee, whose cavalrymen entered what was left of the city shortly after Sherman's departure. Lee estimated that Sherman's "vandals" caused over five million dollars worth of damage, of which "three-fourths was private property." "Was this," S.D. Lee asked, "warfare of the nineteenth century?" Polk takes a more pragmatic view of the situation. Using all the slaves which have not escaped, he is able to restore the Mobile & Ohio Railroad to working order in thirty-six days. Still, Sherman has shown that he can move and feed a large army deep in enemy held territory, seemingly with impunity, and leave miles and miles of devastation in his wake. He is also looking forward to the opportunity to apply the same principles to other sections of the Confederacy.
February 14 1864 (Sunday
Isaac Wistar, the commander at Yorktown, Virginia, reports that two of the Union officers who escaped from Libby Prison have been picked up by his pickets near Williamsburg. He writes: "They report 109 more on the road. A general delivery of one prison-house was effected by digging a tunnel under the street.... My cavalry are in motion, scouring the Peninsula to cover the escape of the rest. Several colonels, among them [Colonel Abel D. Streight,] are on the road, but the path is hard." Later in the day, Benjamin Butler notifies Secretary of War Edwin Stanton that "twenty-six of the escaped prisoners have arrived within our lines," and that he has sent cavalry patrols "up the Peninsula as far as the Chickahominy to pick up all we can." Colonel Streight is among the escapees and is reported to be "concealed in Richmond, but at large.” Newspapers from Richmond confirm the mass escape from Libby, and bring news that twenty-five prisoners have already been recaptured. Wistar continues: "Probably none of these prisoners recaptured had crossed the Chickahominy [River].... My cavalry is out after the prisoners, and has been since the first came in…. If one-fourth' the escaped prisoners get in it will surprise me, in the face of the regularly organized and long-prepared plan to prevent it."
YORKTOWN, February 14, 1864.
[Colonel J. Wilson Shaffer], Chief of Staff: My cavalry detachment has returned to Williamsburg with eleven more of the escaped officers from Richmond, picked up at various points. A fresh detachment, strong enough to whip the Holcombe Legion, has just gone out after more. The account I telegraphed you is correct. One hundred and nine escaped. A Richmond paper seen by one of our scouts, but not brought in by him, confirms it. Their great difficulty will be to cross the Chickahominy, all the private crossings of which are watched by rebel scouts...concealed from our cavalry in the woods.
I.J. WISTAR, Brigadier-General.
Shortly after noon, ’Cump’ Sherman learns that his destination, Meridian, Mississippi, has been abandoned by Confederate forces. He writes: "We entered Meridian...with little opposition.... One locomotive and a train were burning as we reached the depot, but all other rolling-stock had been removed to Mobile or toward Selma.... I knew we could not overtake the enemy before he would cross the Tombigbee [River], and in fact I was willing to gain our point without battle." Sherman issues a congratulatory message to his troops: "The general commanding conveys his…thanks to the officers and men…for their most successful accomplishment of one of the great problems of the war. Meridian, the great railway center of the Southwest, is now in our possession, and by industry and hard work can be rendered useless to the enemy and deprive hint of the chief source of supply to his armies." Departing with the last train, Army of the Mississippi commander Leonidas Polk orders his infantry to cross the Tombigbee River, and gives Stephen D. Lee command of all the cavalry left behind.
SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS, No. 17.
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE, Meridian, Miss., February 14, 1864.
The destruction of the railroads intersecting at Meridian is of great importance, and should be done most effectually. Every tie and rail of iron for many miles in each direction should be absolutely destroyed or injured, and every bridge and culvert completely destroyed. To insure this end, to… [Stephen Hurlbut, 16th Corps,] is intrusted the destruction east and north, and to… [James B. McPherson, 17th Corps,] the roads west and south. The troops should be impressed with the importance of this work, and also that time is material, and therefore it should be begun at once and prosecuted with all the energy possible. Working parties should be composed of about one-half of the commands, and they should move by regiments, provided with their haversacks and arms, ready to repel attacks of cavalry. The other half, in reserve, will be able to watch the enemy now retreating eastward.... Special instructions will be given as to the general supply train, and the troops now in Meridian will by proper brigade parties collect meal, meat, and supplies. The destruction of buildings must be deferred until the last moment, when a special detail will be made for that purpose. By order of Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman:
[Captain Lewis M. Dayton], Aide-de. Camp.
Other Union activity reported on this date:
1. Colonel J.E. Bryant, 51st U.S. Colored Infantry, leads a foraging expedition to Ross’ Landing Arkansas. While “gathering corn,” a picket station is attacked, and the men are “captured and most murdered.”
2. Captain Ephraim Latham’s 1st Alabama (U.S.) Cavalry are “attacked by about 15 bushrangers” near Larkinsville, Alabama, “and 1 of them [is] captured.”
3. An escort for the 13th Pennsylvania, commanded by Lt. P.S. Earl, is “attacked by guerillas concealed in woods” near Brentsville, Virginia. “Two men [are] killed and 4 wounded.”
Other Confederate activity reported on this date:
1. N.B. Forrest reports he is “falling back from Oxford and the line of the Tallahatchie River” to Grenada, Mississippi. He writes: “Their forces are...crossing Tippah [River] today…on the road to New Albany.
2. In Meridian, Major L.J. Fleming, Supt. of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, reports “all the stores...have been loaded up and the last will go forward in the train which takes me.” He writes: “The whole arrangements have been entirely successful.”
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