Jackson,
City and capital of the
State of Mississippi; on the
Pearl River and several important railroads; is a large cotton-shipping centre and has extensive manufactories; population in 1890, 5,920; in 1900, 7,816.
In 1863, while the troops of General
Grant were skirmishing at
Raymond, he learned that
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston was hourly expected at
Jackson.
To make sure of that place, and to leave no enemy in his rear,
Grant pushed on towards
Jackson.
McPherson entered
Clinton early in the afternoon of May 13, without opposition, and began tearing up the railway between that town and the capital.
Sherman was also marching on
Jackson, while
McClernand was at a point near
Raymond.
The night was tempestuous.
In the morning,
Sherman and
McPherson pushed forward, and 5 miles from
Jackson they encountered and drove in the
Confederate pickets.
Two and a half miles from the city they were confronted by a heavy Confederate force, chiefly
Georgia and
South Carolina troops, under
General Walker.
General Crocker's division led the van of the Nationals, and
[
92]
a battle began at eleven o'clock, while a shower of rain was falling.
The Confederate infantry were in a hollow, with their artillery on the crest of a hill beyond them.
Crocker pressed the
Confederates out of the hollow and up the slopes to their artillery.
Still onward the
Nationals pressed in the face of a severe fire, when the
Confederates broke and fled towards the city, closely pursued for a mile and a half to their earthworks.
Under a heavy storm of grape and canister shot poured upon their works, the Nationals reformed for the purpose of making an assault; but there was no occasion, for the garrison had evacuated the fort.
They left behind them seventeen cannon, and tents enough to shelter a whole division.
The commissary and quartermaster's stores were in flames.
The city was taken possession of by the Nationals, and the stars and stripes were unfurled over the
State House by the 59th Indiana Regiment.
Entering
Jackson that night,
Grant learned that
Johnston had arrived, taken charge of the department, and had ordered
Gen. J. C. Pemberton to march immediately out of
Vicksburg and attack the
National rear.
After the
fall of Vicksburg,
Johnston hovered menacingly in
Grant's rear.
Sherman had pushed out to press him back.
Grant sent
Sherman reinforcements, giving that leader an army 50,000 strong.
With these he crossed the
Big Black River, during a great drought.
In dust and great heat the thirsty men and animals went on to
Jackson,
Johnston retiring before them and taking position behind his breastworks there.
Sherman invested
Jackson, July 10, each flank resting on the
Pearl River.
He planted 100 cannon on a hill, and opened on the city, July 12; but his trains being behind, his scanty ammunition was soon exhausted.
In the assault,
General Lauman pushed his troops too near the
Confederate works, and in the course of a few minutes 500 of his men were killed or wounded by sharp-shooters and the grape and canister from twelve cannon.
Two hundred of his men were made prisoners.
Under cover of a fog,
Johnston made a sortie, July 13, but with no beneficial result, and on the night of July 16-17 he withdrew with his 25,000 men, hurried across the
Pearl River, burned the bridges behind him, and retreated to
Morton.
Sherman did not pursue far, his object being to drive
Johnston away and make
Vicksburg secure.
For this purpose he broke up the railways for many miles, and destroyed everything in
Jackson that might be useful to the
Confederates.
Jackson,
Andrew 
