Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

[257] towards Edward's depot, and take the Brownsville road, and then proceed north of the railroad towards Clinton. He notified Johnston in haste that his communication had been received, and informed him of the route of march.

At about five o'clock on this morning, two men employed on the Jackson and Vicksburg railroad, and who had passed through Pemberton's army the night before, were brought into Grant's headquarters at Clinton. He was wakened at once to receive the news. The men stated that Pemberton was at Edward's station, fifteen or eighteen miles off, with eighty regiments of infantry and ten batteries of artillery. They estimated his whole force at twenty-five thousand troops, still advancing. From them, also, Grant heard again of the enemy's design to attack his rear. Until this time, it had been his intention to leave one division of Sherman's corps still another day in Jackson, to complete the destruction of roads and stores; but this information determined him to bring up his entire command at once; and, at five and a half o'clock, he dispatched to Sherman, to move promptly to the support of the main army, at Bolton or beyond: ‘Start one of your divisions on the road at once with their ammunition wagons, and direct the general commanding the division to move with all possible speed, until he comes up with our rear, beyond Bolton. It is important that the greatest celerity should be shown in carrying out this movement, as I have evidence that the entire force of the enemy was at Edward's depot at seven P. M. last night, and was still advancing. The fight may therefore be brought on at any moment; we should have every man in the field.’ The other division of the