US History

Tupelo Clash: Summer 1864

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The Battle of Tupelo

In the Battle of Brices Crossroads, the Union suffered a defeat by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. This setback led General William T. Sherman to come up with a plan to deal with Forrest and ensure the safety of his supply lines in Mississippi. Sherman ordered two officers, Smith and Mower, to form a force and go after Forrest relentlessly. This marked the start of a third raid into Mississippi to eliminate the threat posed by Forrest. Sherman’s ultimate goal was to march on Atlanta as part of a larger strategy devised by Ulysses S. Grant to crush the rebellion.

Tupelo, where the battle took place, was a crucial location due to its railroad and strategic importance in Mississippi.Sherman chose two really capable generals for the mission. Andrew Jackson Smith, who led the right wing of the XVI Corps, was a West Point graduate from the class of 1838. He had served in the Regular Army with the 1st Dragoons out West, becoming a major before leading the 2nd California Cavalry at the beginning of the war. After resigning to work as cavalry chief for General Henry Halleck, he took part in various campaigns out West and eventually became a major general.

General Joseph Mower, in charge of the 1st Division of the XVI Corps, was one of Sherman’s favorite generals. Sherman thought highly of him, even promising him a promotion to major general if he succeeded in taking down Forrest. Sherman even got President Lincoln to agree to this promise. Mower started as a private in the Mexican War and later returned to the army as a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Infantry, steadily moving up in rank.

After the loss at Brices Crossroads, General C.C. Washburn, following Sherman’s orders, instructed Smith to get his troops ready for an advance into Confederate territory. Smith’s command was quite diverse, including his own troops, the right wing of the XVI Corps (with Mower’s 1st Division and Colonel David Moore’s 3rd Division), General Benjamin H. Grierson’s 1st Division of the XVI Corps Cavalry, and Colonel Edward Bouton’s Brigade of U.S. colored troops, along with about 20 artillery pieces. Altogether, around 14,000 Union soldiers were involved in the operation. Smith organized his forces first in Memphis and then in La Grange, Tennessee, and by July 1, they were set to begin their mission.Opposing Smith’s 14,000 soldiers were Confederate Lt. Gen. Stephen Dill Lee’s troops from the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. Lee, who was not related to Robert E. Lee, became the youngest lieutenant general during the war. He was born in South Carolina, graduated from West Point in 1854, and served as an artillery officer in the East before moving to the western theater where he was captured at Vicksburg.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, a self-made man with little formal education but great success in various endeavors including slave-trading, served under Lee in the department. Forrest enlisted as a private in the 7th Tennessee Cavalry and later became a major general known for his successful cavalry raids that frustrated the Union forces.

Tupelo commanded a railroad and was an important crossroads in its section of Mississippi.  Here is the town in the 1920s.

After the Battle of Brices Crossroads, Forrest’s troops were scattered and needed new horses for resupply. Many soldiers were without mounts and were temporarily formed into an infantry brigade until they could find fresh horses.While Forrest’s troops were taking a break, there was a debate about how to best utilize Forrest and his skills. General Joseph Johnston wanted Forrest to lead a force to destroy the Federal Army’s railroad communications instead of just defending against raids, due to his concerns about Sherman’s invasion of Georgia. Governor Joseph Brown of Georgia also wanted Forrest to focus on disrupting Sherman’s supply lines. However, Jefferson Davis disagreed and insisted that Forrest stay in Mississippi for other important tasks.

Despite the ongoing discussion, Forrest remained active and kept an eye on his enemies by sending out reconnaissance patrols. He received information from a reliable source in late June that a large Union force was planning to move against Mississippi from Memphis. Forrest quickly alerted Lee and prepared his troops for a potential attack. By early July, he had gathered his forces and reinforced key positions in anticipation of the Union advance. On July 7, his troops engaged in a skirmish with a strong Union column, signaling the start of the Union’s offensive.Gen. Joseph A. Mower led the Union troops in a movement that began on July 5th from La Grange, Tennessee. The troops were divided into two groups, with infantry, artillery, and wagons on one road and cavalry on another, both heading towards Forrest’s outpost at Ripley. Gen. Smith was worried about his soldiers’ well-being and wanted to prevent straggling, so he gave strict orders for the march. Everyone had to stay together, canteens were filled up, and there were frequent breaks and roll calls to keep everyone in line. The summer heat made the march tough, but Smith was cautious and took extra measures to protect against any surprises from Forrest.

  • Gen. Andrew J. Smith
  • Gen. Nathan B. Forrest
  • Gen. Joseph A. Mower
  • Gen. Stephen D. Lee

Torching Most of the Town, Including the Courthouse, Two Churches, and Several Homes

The march went smoothly. There were some fights at Ripley on the 7th that pushed the Confederates back, and Smith kept moving south. Two days later, they crossed the Tallahatchie River and on the 10th reached Pontotoc. The next day, a Confederate brigade led by General Robert McCulloch tried to delay the Union advance in Pontotoc, but Smith’s mixed force of infantry and cavalry kicked them out of town. Smith decided to punish the area that supported Forrest by burning most of the town, including the courthouse, churches, and homes.

The Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Pontotoc, while Forrest prepared to face Smith near Okolona. Smith sent cavalry and infantry to scout the road south on the morning of the 12th. They encountered Confederate forces about nine miles down the road, prompting Smith to change his plans and move east towards Tupelo on the 13th. This caught Forrest and Lee off guard. In the confusion, the Confederates left a road unguarded, allowing Smith to move without being noticed right away. When Forrest and Lee realized what was happening, they chased after Smith, resulting in a battle on the road to Tupelo with the Confederates attacking the Union troops from behind and the side.The Union cavalry arrived in Tupelo around noon and immediately started wrecking parts of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. General Smith kept moving to catch up with his cavalry, continuing to skirmish along the way, while Forrest and Lee worked on bringing their full force together. There were some intense rear-guard battles involving troops like the 7th Kansas Cavalry, U.S. colored troops, and Mowers Division. In one of these clashes, the 14th Wisconsin managed to capture the flag of the 19th Mississippi Cavalry. By 9 PM, Smith reached Harrisburg, a small town west of Tupelo, and began setting up his defensive line.

Forrest and Lee had to make a tough choice. They could either fight at Harrisburg, even though they were outnumbered and on enemy-chosen ground, or let Smith reach Tupelo without resistance. Lee was also under pressure due to an impending Federal attack on Mobile, Alabama, which required him to send some of his troops there for defense. The Confederate force gathered was the largest available to oppose Smith, so Lee and Forrest decided to engage in battle.

Sherman ordered Smith to keep Forrest from his supply line through Nashville. Forrest had demonstrated repeatedly he could strike through Tennessee.

By morning on the 14th, both armies were positioned around Harrisburg. The Union forces had fortified their position overnight, creating crude defenses. The battlefield was on a ridge cut by the Tupelo Road. General Mower’s Division was on the north side of the road, with Colonel Moore’s Division on the left. The Union troops were well-placed, with woods about 200 yards away from their position and mostly open ground between them and the Confederates.The Confederate line was similar to the Union’s position, with Roddey’s two brigades on the far right. General Buford’s Division controlled the area near Tupelo Road, led by Colonels Crossland and Mabry. Colonel Bell’s Brigade was kept in reserve behind Mabry. Chalmers’ Division was also in reserve behind the first line, with General Lyons’ infantry in a third line behind them. The 6,000 Confederates were greatly outnumbered by the roughly 11,000 Union troops.

On the 14th, there was uncertainty among Confederate leaders. Forrest wasn’t feeling well and wanted Lee to take full command. Lee wasn’t keen on leading due to the unfavorable odds. After Forrest declined command, Lee planned for Forrest to have Roddey attack the enemy’s left while Buford’s Division attacked from the west. However, before this could happen, Crossland’s Kentuckians launched an attack.

At 7 am, Crossland’s and Mabry’s Brigades moved towards the Union works to push out their skirmishers. Despite being told to advance steadily, Crossland’s Brigade charged across the field enthusiastically and without support.The Kentucky troops were moving towards Murrays Brigade of the 3rd Division. Colonel Moore, who was in charge of the 3rd Division, later said that the enemy was allowed to come close to our line without seeing us because we were hidden by a hill. When the enemy got really close, the First Brigade soldiers suddenly stood up and charged at them with a fierce yell, firing their guns wildly. This surprised the Confederates and stopped them in their tracks. Major Thomas Tate described the gunfire as the most destructive he had ever seen. Colonel Crossland mentioned that many of his soldiers were killed or wounded, and the Kentucky troops were forced to retreat in chaos.

To make things worse for the Kentucky Brigade, Colonel Murray launched a counterattack. Colonel James Kinney remembered that their first shot made the Confederates turn back quickly, while they chased after them, shooting them down as they ran. They kept exchanging gunfire for about two hours.

Smith drove into Forrest territory in an effort to draw him to battle and put him out of action. It didn’t quite work out that way.

When the Kentucky Brigade returned to their original position, they were still in disarray. Forrest took their flag and told them to regroup. Seeing how badly they were getting hit, Forrest decided not to send in Roddeys Division. Crossland reported that they lost around 300 men out of almost 800. The 8th Kentucky lost 55 out of 115 soldiers, and the 3rd Kentucky lost 92 out of 145 on the battlefield.As the Kentucky troops retreated, Mabrys and Bells Brigades advanced towards the Union lines. It was getting really hot that day, and some men couldn’t handle the heat and dropped out of formation. They came at General Mowers Division in three lines, while also firing about seven artillery pieces. At first, you could see their lines clearly, but as they got closer, it turned into a chaotic mob, according to General Smith. They were allowed to get close, shouting and making a lot of noise, until the First Division’s cannons started blasting them with canister shots. When they got within 300 yards of the Union soldiers, a fierce exchange of gunfire broke out.

Sherman told Smith to stop Forrest from disrupting their supply line through Nashville. Forrest had shown he could strike through Tennessee multiple times. Mabrys line fell apart quickly. Because of the heat and heavy fire from the Union side, Mabry said his brigade looked more like scattered skirmishers. Mabry then ordered his troops to lie down in a low area and start shooting. Bells Brigade then tried to attack, but faced the same fate. After getting within 75 yards of the Union line, they had to retreat.

Ruckers Brigade Ran for 2000 Yards Under Fire in Plain View of the Enemy

Chalmers Division got mixed up with conflicting orders during the battle. Forrest wanted them to support Roddeys Division, Lee said to back up Mabry, and Buford told them to relieve forces in the center. Initially, Chalmers followed Forrest’s order to move right, but then Lee arrived and instructed them to turn around and join the fight on Tupelo Road.

Chalmers left McCullochs Brigade in reserve and quickly sent Colonel E.W. Rucker to help in the fighting. However, by the time Ruckers Brigade got there, other Confederate units had already been pushed back. Ruckers men tried to charge the Union works but faced heavy enemy fire and exhaustion, causing them to fall back and take a position alongside other Confederate brigades.

Quiet now, the battlefield at Tupelo was the scene of desperate charges and fierce cacophonies of cannon and small arms fire.

The fighting went on for hours until Mower decided to counterattack the Confederates since they weren’t making another move. The Union forces charged, driving the Confederates away and taking control of the battlefield littered with enemy casualties. Mowers Division briefly held their advanced position before returning to their original line, leaving around 270 Confederate soldiers dead in front of them.

Mowers counterattack basically ended the major fighting, especially as the scorching midday sun made things even tougher for the defeated Confederate troops.Smith went into Forrest’s territory to try and lure him into a battle, but it didn’t go as planned. Union troops started setting fire to buildings in Harrisburg at night. Chalmers ordered McCullochs Brigade to move forward, but the Union position was too strong. Instead of attacking, they fired artillery at the Union troops illuminated by the burning buildings. After some fighting, McCullochs Brigade retreated.

Later that evening, Forrest instructed Ruckers Brigade to test the Federal left flank near Verona Road. This caused Wolfs Brigade to retreat initially, but the Union 3rd Division quickly responded by sending Gilberts and Boutons Brigades. There was intense gunfire from both sides, but neither suffered significant casualties. Ruckers Brigade withdrew without any losses.

The next morning, Smith realized he was running low on supplies and decided to head back to base. He ordered Grierson to destroy the railroad for five miles in each direction. Smith ensured the wounded were taken care of in Tupelo before leaving. Meanwhile, Forrest directed Buford to attack the Union left flank. Crosslands and Bells Brigades managed to push back Union skirmishers, but were met with reinforcement including the 61st and 68th U.S. Colored Infantry. Buford’s forces were exhausted from the fighting and the heat by then.The Union troops kept retreating without any trouble until Forrest and Lee noticed that the trenches in front of them were empty. They then ordered a general advance. Buford’s Division was at the front again and encountered three cavalry regiments led by Grierson near Old Town Creek. Buford set up Rices battery while Crossland and Bell moved forward. Grierson slowly retreated until he reached the wagon train.

After some skirmishing for about thirty minutes, Colonel William McMillen arrived with 1,600 men to help the Union cavalry. They quickly formed their brigade and, under Brig. Gen. J.A. Mower’s orders, charged at the enemy. Gilbert’s Brigade also joined in the attack. The whole line fired a volley, shouted, crossed the fence, and advanced through the open field while shooting. Buford’s Division ended the fight, and the Union forces camped safely for the rest of the evening.

The battlefield at Tupelo, which was once filled with intense fighting and loud gunfire, was now quiet. The clashes on the 15th marked the last major battles of the campaign. Smith retreated to Ellistown on the 16th, New Albany on the 17th, and finally returned to La Grange on the morning of the 21st. The campaign came to an end.

The Confederate forces suffered heavy losses, with Forrest reporting 1,326 casualties out of around 6,000 men engaged. Several commanders were severely wounded, including three brigade commanders and Forrest himself. Many regimental officers were also lost. On the Union side, there were significantly fewer casualties, with 674 troops reported killed, wounded, or captured. Only one Union brigade or regimental commander, Colonel Alexander Wilkins, was killed in the battles.So, Smith’s expedition can be considered a success. He managed to defeat Forrest and take away the image of invincibility surrounding him. Many of Forrest’s troops were badly injured, and the loss of experienced officers weakened his combat abilities in the short term. Smith also prevented Forrest from disrupting Sherman’s supply line from Tennessee to Georgia as Sherman closed in on Atlanta.

However, Smith only temporarily neutralized Forrest as a threat to Union forces. Shortly after the battle at Harrisburg, Forrest was causing trouble in Tennessee again. Later in 1864, he joined John Bell Hood’s Army for the Nashville campaign. Ultimately, only the collapse of the Confederacy itself would finally stop Nathan Bedford Forrest.

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