As has been stated, Bell, with his larger brigade, was hurrying by a forced march from Rienza (25 miles) and his artillery was rapidly coming up (16 miles) over the bad roads. Forrest himself led Rucker’s brigade as it came up. The roads, paved today, are still a major route into Lee, Prentiss, and Union counties, with thousands of cars traveling through the national battlefield to reach other destinations. This disposition of the troops made the Federals believe he had a larger force than he really had. He learned the enemy’s cavalry was near the “Cross Roads,” and would reach that place before he got there, but his scouts began skirmishing west of the “Cross Roads.” The enemy reached the roads and formed a line of battle, almost a mile from it on the Baldwin and Guntown roads, having more of a defensive than aggressive spirit. The enemy however was nearer the “Cross Roads” than was expected, having encamped, and concentrated at Stubbs’ farm on the Ripley and Guntown road on the night of the 9th, when Forrest first learned of the change of direction of the Federal column. Gen. Sturgis had sent back to Memphis about 400 disabled men before reaching Stubbs’ farm, which made his force about 8,100 men. Brice’s Crossroads is considered one of the best preserved battlefields of the Civil War. With assistance from the Civil War Trust (formerly the APCWS and the Civil War Preservation Trust), and the support of Federal, State, and local governments, the BCNBC, Inc. has purchased for preservation over 1,330 acres (5.4 km2) of the original battlefield. But before they were entirely in line and the cavalry out of the way (almost in disorder) Gen. Bell arrived with his large brigade and Major Morton with his two batteries. Winning the Battle, Losing the War. The trains and artillery blocked the bridge over Tishomingo creek, so that the enemy had to wade the stream. Bell was at Rienza, 25 miles distant, and his artillery was at Booneville, 16 miles to the north. They did not arrive, however, until after i o’clock. The campaign of Gen. Sherman, with his infantry command, from Vicksburg to Meridian, Miss. To increase the panic, the Confederates appeared on both flanks about the time the infantry relieved the cavalry, creating great uneasiness as to the safety of the trains and the rear of the army, guarded by the negro brigade under Col. Bouton. The Battle of Brice's Crossroads was fought on June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn in Lee County, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. Opposed to this force of cavalry were large garrisons of infantry and cavalry at Baton Rogue, La., Vicksburg, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., and in North Alabama (mainly at Decatur) making constant raids into the interior from those localities. This battle and victory of Gen. Forrest deservedly gave him a great reputation and was one of the most complete victories of the war. The following is a list of artillery pieces captured by Forrest: Three 6-pounder James bronze guns, rifled, Two 3.8-inch (97 mm) James bronze guns, rifled. Gen. Forrest, on receiving the order at Russelville, Ala., promptly retraced his steps, arriving at Tupelo on the evening of June 5th. He moved Buford’s division first to Baldwin and then to Booneville and ordered Bell’s large brigade to Rienza. Rucker was at Booneville by Gen. Lee’s order. This indicated that the column might be going by Corinth to reinforce Gen. Sherman in Georgia. At the same time Gen. Forrest took Bell’s brigade and carried it to the extreme left of his line. Gen. Lee at the same time ordered Gen. Roddey to reinforce Gen. Forrest in Mississippi, as the column that had started from Decatur had moved eastward to reinforce Gen. Sherman in Georgia. Although the attack failed, it caused severe confusion among the Federal troops, and Sturgis ordered a general retreat. It was so ordered. Forrest dispatched most of his men to two nearby towns to wait. He at once began to move his command into position, awaiting the development of the plans of the enemy. I have signed this for the general who directed it sent down by the train. Although badly outnumbered, he decided to repulse Sturgis instead of waiting for Lee. Union dead from the battle were buried in common graves on the battlefield, but were later reinterred in the National Cemetery at Memphis, Tennessee. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, alerted of Sturgis’ movement, warned Forrest. Railroad. Gen. Sturgis and Col. McMillan, who commanded the infantry division, behaved heroically as did their subordinates, but they could not stem the disaster in face of the most rapid and persistent fighting of the Confederates all along their front and flanks. It pitted a 4,787-man contingent led by Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest against an 8,100-strong Union force led by Brigadier General Samuel D. Sturgis. Salem and Ruckersville, reaching Ruckersvillc on June 6th. The Battle of Brice’s Crossroads was fought on June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn in Lee County, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. They were headed for the prairie region of Mississippi, and for Columbus, Miss., and Selma, Ala. Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman had long known that his fragile supply and communication lines through Tennessee were in serious jeopardy because of depredations by Forrest’s cavalry raids. Gen. Lee and Gen. Forrest were together in consultation at Baldwin when a change of plans by the enemy was first known. References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brice%27s_Crossroads. Sturgis suffered demotion and exile to the far West. This place was close to the Confederate supply depot, and very far from the Union’s. The graves of more than 90 Confederate soldiers killed in the battle are also located in this cemetery. Gen. Forrest left Tupelo, Miss., June 1st with a picked command of 2,400 men and two batteries, leaving only a small force in Mississippi. It was made up of a division of cavalry commanded by Gen. Grierson, composed of two brigades.— one commanded by Col. Waring (1,500 men), the other by Col. Winslow (1,800 men). The fighting slackened a little as the infantry relieved the cavalry, which moved rapidly to the rear, after having been engaged in hard fighting from 10 a. m. till 2 p. m., during which time it had been gradually pressed back by the Confederates. He met the head of Forrest’s column on the Baldwin road, about a mile from the “Cross Roads” about 10 a. m. and at once formed Waring’s brigade in line of battle on both sides of the road and covering it. Sam Donaldson (Gen. Forrest’s aide) says, “I remember full well that this consultation was of the most pleasant kind, and that the next day much to the surprise of Gen. Forrest, the commands of Grier son and Sturgis appeared in force, and the great battle of Tishomingo Creek was fought that afternoon.” Gen. Lee, early on the morning of June 10th, went by rail to Okolona, both he and Gen. Forrest believing the enemy sufficiently far off to enable all the troops to get by the “Cross Roads” before the enemy arrived at that point. Mississippi’s Final Stands is an Interpretive Center covering the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads and the Battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg. Confusion was soon evident everywhere, and disorder reigned. Here Gen. Sturgis abandoned his plan of moving as far north as the M. & O. railroad, and moved south to Ripley, Miss., at which point he took the Ripley and Guntown road in a southeasterly direction, encamping at Ripley on June 7th. Gen. Forrest had scarcely reached Russellville, Ala., when a large force of 8,000 men under Gen. Sturgis left the Memphis and Charleston railroad (just over the Mississippi border) near Saulsbury, Tenn. His trains were still further delayed by the bad roads. Many stragglers escaped from the Confederates and, after wandering through the country, reached the M. & C. railroad several days later. This severe fighting continued for over two and a half hours. Many of the area’s earliest settlers are buried here. At this point, the road from Baldwin, Miss., to Pontotoc crossed the Ripley and Guntown road almost at right angles and made the “Cross Roads.” From the “Cross Roads,” it was 6 miles to Guntown and 5 miles to Baldwin each on the M. & O railroad. But the Confederates gained little in the long run through the victory, only temporarily repelling Union forces from Alabama and Mississippi. He learned that the enemy were at Ruckersville on June 6th, and that a brigade was also at Rienza. On April 13th, Gen. Lee was put in command of all the cavalry in the Department of Mississippi, Alabama, East Louisiana, and West Tennessee, including Gen. Forrest’s command. Gen. Sturgis left Lafayette, Tenn., June 2nd, and marched south of the railroad (M. & O. Gen. Sturgis, having arrived on the field, Winslow urged to be relieved, and Gen. Grierson earnestly requesting to be allowed to withdraw his cavalry to be reorganized and re-supplied with ammunition. He chose Brice’s Crossroads, in what is now Lee County, which featured four muddy roads, heavily wooded areas, and the natural boundary of Tishomingo Creek, which had only one bridge going east to west. On May 4, Gen. Lee’s own division was moved to Montevallo, Ala., to be nearer Gen. Johnston’s army. Gen. Sturgis with a large force had followed Gen. Forrest out of Tennessee, and had pursued him as far south as Ripley, about May 10th, returning thence to Memphis. 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