Overview
Following the Federal breakout from Chattanooga in November 1863, General William T. Sherman returned to Vicksburg, Mississippi, with the Army of the Tennessee. With Ulysses S. Grant’s approval, Sherman planned a short campaign to destroy Confederate infrastructure and free troops for his upcoming Atlanta Campaign.
Sherman targeted Meridian, Mississippi, an important Confederate railroad center about 150 miles east of Vicksburg. On February 3, 1864, roughly 20,000 infantrymen, accompanied by about 5,000 cavalrymen and artillerymen, left Vicksburg under Sherman’s command. Sherman also ordered General William Sooy Smith to lead 7,000 cavalrymen south from Memphis on February 1 and meet him at Meridian on February 10.
Smith did not leave Memphis until February 11. Muddy roads slowed his force, and his cavalry needed five days to travel about 100 miles and cross the Little Tallahatchie River. Meanwhile, Sherman entered Meridian on February 14 and spent five days destroying Confederate railroads and other infrastructure while waiting for Smith, who never arrived.
On February 20, Smith encountered advance elements of General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate cavalry between Prairie Station and West Point. On February 21, Colonel Jeffrey Forrest’s brigade attacked Smith and forced him toward a swampy area west of the Tombigbee River. Smith ordered a retreat despite holding a large numerical advantage.
On February 22, General Forrest launched a full-scale attack south of Okolona. Union cavalrymen fought dismounted behind barricades, but Confederate reinforcements eventually broke their lines. During another assault, Colonel Jeffrey Forrest suffered a mortal gunshot wound to the neck. Forrest then led a charge that overwhelmed the Union troops.
Smith continued retreating north until Forrest ended the pursuit because his men were running low on ammunition. Smith’s defeated cavalry returned to Memphis on February 27. The Confederate victory allowed Forrest to continue successful cavalry operations in the region during 1864.
Essential Facts
- Date: February 22, 1864.
- Location: Chickasaw, Clay, Monroe, and Pontotoc Counties, Mississippi.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: William Sooy Smith.
- CSA Commanders: Nathan Bedford Forrest.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Okolona.
- Campaign: Meridian Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, January–April, 1864.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 388 (54 killed, 179 wounded, and 155 missing or captured).
- Forces Engaged: Smith’s cavalry detachment.
- Troop Strength: Estimated at around 7,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 110 (25 killed, 75 wounded, and 10 missing or captured).
- Forces Engaged: Forrest’s Cavalry Corps.
- Troop Strength: Estimated at around 2,500.
Significance
The Battle of Okolona is important to American History because the Confederate victory allowed General Nathan Bedford Forrest to continue successful cavalry operations in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama during 1864. General William Sooy Smith’s defeat also marked the failure of his expedition during William T. Sherman’s otherwise successful Meridian Campaign. Smith’s failure to meet Sherman at Meridian may have prevented Sherman from extending his operations farther into Mississippi and possibly Alabama. Forrest’s continued effectiveness became such a serious problem that Sherman later declared that Forrest had to be hunted down and killed, even at tremendous cost.
History
Following the Federal breakout from Chattanooga in November 1863, Major General William T. Sherman returned to Vicksburg, Mississippi, with his Army of the Tennessee to attend to some unfinished business. With the approval of Ulysses S. Grant, Sherman intended to launch a brief campaign to destroy Southern infrastructure in the area, freeing up troops to move east to take part in his upcoming Atlanta Campaign.
Sherman’s primary target was Meridian, Mississippi, about 150 miles east of Vicksburg. Located at the juncture of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad with the Southern Railroad, Meridian was the largest remaining Confederate railroad center in the state. On February 3, 1864, Major General James B. McPherson’s 17th Army Corps and Major General Stephen A. Hurlbut’s 16th Army Corps departed from Vicksburg in two columns under Sherman’s command. Roughly 5,000 cavalry troopers and artillerists accompanied Sherman’s 20,000 infantrymen. (Special Field Orders, No. 11, Department of the Tennessee).
To augment his main force, Sherman ordered Brigadier General William Sooy Smith to lead a cavalry force of 7,000 troopers south from Memphis, Tennessee, on February 1, and rendezvous with him at Meridian on February 10. (Message from W.T. Sherman to William Sooy Smith).
Sherman’s army entered Meridian on February 14 and spent the next five days laying waste to the railroad center and the surrounding area as he waited in vain for Smith’s arrival. As events unfolded, Smith never reached Meridian.
For inexplicable reasons, Smith delayed his departure from Memphis until February 11, 1864, ten days beyond the date Sherman specified in his orders. Slowed by muddy roads, it took Smith’s troopers five days to travel roughly 100 miles and cross the Little Tallahatchie River at New Albany in northern Mississippi.
February 20, 1864
By February 20, ten days after his appointed rendezvous with Sherman, Smith skirmished with lead elements of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry between Prairie Station and West Point, over ninety miles from Meridian. After driving the Rebels back, Smith concentrated his troopers and struck out for West Point on the morning of February 21.
February 21, 1864
Shortly before dawn, a Confederate cavalry brigade commanded by Colonel Jeffrey Forrest — General Forrest’s younger brother — engaged Smith’s troopers, forcing them to withdraw to a swampy area west of the Tombigbee River. Feeling trapped, Smith ordered a retreat even though the Yankees outnumbered the Rebels nearly three to one. The two sides skirmished for the rest of the day as Smith fell back nearly fifteen miles toward Okolona.
February 22, 1864 — Clash at Okolona
On February 22, General Forrest launched a full-scale attack against Smith’s soldiers south of Okolona. Fighting dismounted, behind barricades, the horse-soldiers stood fast until reinforcements bolstered Forrest’s assault. Eventually, the Union lines broke, and Smith’s soldiers once again retreated.
During a second onslaught, a gunshot to the neck mortally wounded Colonel Forrest. Distraught over the death of his brother, General Forrest led a wild charge that overwhelmed the Federals. Eyewitness accounts claim that Forrest exacted revenge for his brother’s death by personally killing three Yankees while having two horses shot beneath him.
By the day’s end, the last fighting took place between Okolona and Pontotoc, about thirty miles to the north. As the Yankees continued to retreat, Forrest called off his pursuit because his men ran low on ammunition.
Outcome
For the next few days, Mississippi militiamen harassed Smith’s disheartened troopers as they backtracked toward Tennessee until reaching the state line on February 26. The debacle ended when they arrived at Memphis the next day.
After the resounding Confederate victory, Forrest reported 110 Confederate casualties (25 killed, 75 wounded, and 10 missing or captured) during the Battle of Okolona. Smith suffered 388 casualties (54 killed, 179 wounded, and 155 missing or captured).
Aftermath
Although Sherman’s Meridian Campaign was an overall success, Smith’s expedition was an undeniable debacle. His failure to join Sherman at Meridian by the appointed date may have denied Sherman the opportunity to continue his expedition farther into Mississippi, and possibly Alabama, destroying even more Confederate infrastructure before returning to Vicksburg. On July 15, 1864, a beleaguered Smith resigned his commission, citing health reasons.
Forrest’s victory allowed him to continue successful cavalry operations in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama during 1864. His continued effectiveness became a major problem for Union commanders and prompted Sherman to declare “that devil Forrest must be hunted down and killed if it costs ten thousand lives and bankrupts the federal treasury.”
Timeline
- 1863, November — William T. Sherman returned to Vicksburg, Mississippi, following the Federal breakout from Chattanooga.
- 1864, February 1 — Sherman ordered William Sooy Smith to leave Memphis with 7,000 cavalrymen and meet him at Meridian on February 10.
- 1864, February 3 — Sherman left Vicksburg with forces from the 16th and 17th Army Corps.
- 1864, February 10 — Smith was supposed to meet Sherman at Meridian.
- 1864, February 11 — Smith finally left Memphis, ten days later than Sherman had ordered.
- 1864, February 14 — Sherman entered Meridian and started destroying Confederate infrastructure.
- 1864, February 20 — Smith skirmished with advance elements of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry between Prairie Station and West Point.
- 1864, February 21 — Jeffrey Forrest’s brigade attacked Smith’s cavalry and forced Smith to retreat toward Okolona.
- 1864, February 22 — Nathan Bedford Forrest launched a full-scale attack south of Okolona and defeated Smith’s Union cavalry.
- 1864, February 22 — Colonel Jeffrey Forrest was mortally wounded during the fighting.
- 1864, February 26 — Smith’s retreating cavalry reached the Tennessee state line.
- 1864, February 27 — Smith’s defeated force returned to Memphis.
- 1864, July 15 — Smith resigned his commission and cited health reasons.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Okolona (1864) — The Battle of Okolona was fought in Mississippi on February 22, 1864, during the Meridian Campaign. Union General William Sooy Smith delayed leaving Memphis and failed to meet General William T. Sherman at Meridian. Confederate cavalry under General Nathan Bedford Forrest forced Smith to retreat on February 21. The next day, Forrest launched a full-scale attack south of Okolona. After Colonel Jeffrey Forrest was mortally wounded, General Forrest led another charge that overwhelmed the Union troops and secured a Confederate victory.
Alignment
The Battle of Okolona is part of the following AP US History sections:
