.
His command is all safe.
Our total loss in killed, wounded, and missing is one hundred and seventy only.
movements, are about as follows: One hundred and fifty miles of railroad, sixty-seven bridges, seven thousand feet of trestle, twenty locomotives, twenty-eight cars, ten thousand bales of cotton, several steam-mills, and over two — million bushels of corn were destroyed.
The railroad destruction is complete and thorough.
The capture of prisoners exceeds all loss.
Upward of eight thousand contrabands and refugees came in with various columns.
dear Editor: On the third ultimo,
Sherman's expedition left
Vicksburgh for
Meridian, cutting right through the capital and across the centre of “proud
Mississippi.”
The army was made up of two divisions--
General Veatch's and
General A. J. Smith's--Sixteenth army corps, and two divisions--
General Leggett's and
General Crocker's--Seventeenth army corps; together with
Colonel Winslow's brigade of cavalry, and one brigade (
General Chambers's) infantry; making in all forty-one regiments of infantry, three of cavalry, and seven batteries of light artillery, with one battalion of cavalry under
Captain Foster, commanding the Fourth Ohio cavalry, of
General McPherson's body-guard, two pioneer corps, and making a force of less than twenty thousand fighting men. I am thus particular in giving numbers, since our force has been everywhere overstated, and if any credit is due for what was accomplished, or blame ascribed for shortcomings, let praise or blame be awarded understandingly.
A brief diary of events, marches, etc., will convey some idea of our trip.
February third, marched seventeen miles, crossing the Big Black at the old railroad bridge, and camped near
Edwards's Depot.
Weather fine and troops in good condition.
General Hurlbut is crossing Big Black at Messenger, on the old Jackson road, six miles above our crossing.
February fourth, marched fourteen miles and camped beyond Champion Hills.
Some skirmishing with the enemy.
February fifth, marched to-day fifteen miles, and camped two miles west of
Jackson.
Had sharp skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry, losing some seven men killed, thirty wounded, and thirteen prisoners. The enemy's loss was much heavier than ours.
February sixth, marched into
Jackson.
The
Iowa brigade cross
Pearl River, and take the advance.
March of five miles.
February seventh, messengers from Big Black came through last night with despatches for
General Sherman and found the enemy already in our rear, to attack the supply-trains.
Hope they will have a good time cutting our communications.
Marched to-day thirteen miles to
Brandon;
Captain Foster commanding the cavalry advance, and
Major Foster (Eleventh Iowa) the infantry advance.
Our infantry advance made this distance in four and one half hours marching time.
Slight skirmishing.
February eighth, leaving
Brandon “purified as by fire” of much rebel nutriment, we marched sixteen miles, and camp in a grove of pitch-pine.
Thirteenth Iowa engaged in destroying the railroad.
February ninth, marched ten miles, to
Morton Station, and engaged in tearing up railroad track; some miles of track torn up, rails heated and twisted, bridges, culverts, and stations burned, etc.; Sixteenth army corps, under
General Hurlbut, pass to the front to-day; slight skirmishing to-day.
February tenth, marched fifteen miles to-day, and camped three miles east of Hillsboroa, county-seat of
Scott County, which place was purified also as above written.
The “payment in kind” of tithes of the farmers' and planters' crops to the rebel government, which has been collected in large quantities at these towns, feeds now the vandal hosts, and the residue is consigned to the flames, which sometimes spread to buildings not ordered to be burned.
The jail, too, where Sambo once waited for his kind and indulgent master, vanished in smoke and ashes.
We hear of slight skirmishing again to-day in front.
Three men of the
Iowa Thirteenth and two of the
Iowa Sixteenth were captured while out foraging.
One other was captured, robbed of hat, coat, and boots, shot twice after being taken, and left for dead, but got back to camp in the night.
He thinks his comrades were murdered after being taken.
February eleventh, lay in camp until six P. M., then out all night, making seven miles through the swamps.
Thirteenth Iowa sent forward to support cavalry in a raid on
Lake Station.
Depot and road destroyed, also two locomotives and thirty cars.
February twelfth, marched eighteen miles to
Decatur, county-seat of
Newton County.
Purified. Slight skirmish.
We lost twelve men killed; the rebels lost six men killed, and twelve wounded and taken prisoners.
February thirteenth, marched thirteen miles, and packed our extra teams.
The
Iowa brigade remain four days with the transportation, guarding it, and skirmishing with the enemy; then marched on the eighteenth to
Meridian.
Here the destruction of rebel property was very great, including railroad and railroad buildings, State arsenal, with guns, machinery, etc., all of which are utterly destroyed.
General Crocker's division went south, twenty-seven miles, utterly and completely wiping out the railroad, and also the rebel camps at
Enterprise,
Quitman, etc. The cavalry did a similar work east to the
State line, and the Sixteenth army corps north to
Lauderdale 
