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sixty days campaign, it being ordered that men and animals should subsist, as far as possible, on the country.
1
To deceive the
Confederates, and accommodate itself to the condition of the country,
Wilson's command moved on — diverging routes, the distances between the divisions expanding and contracting, according to circumstances.
The general course was a little east of south, until they reached the waters of the
Black Warrior River.
Upton marched for Sanders's Ferry on the west fork of the
Black Warrior, by way of
Russellville and
Mount Hope, to
Jackson, in
Walker County.
Long went by devious ways to the same point, and
McCook, taking the
Tuscaloosa road as far as
Eldridge, turned eastward to
Jasper, from which point the whole force crossed the
Black Warrior River.
There, in the fertile region watered by the main affluents of the
Tombigbee River, the columns simultaneously menaced
Columbus, in Mississippi, and
Tuscaloosa and
Selma, in Alabama.
At that time
General Forrest, in command of the Confederate cavalry, was on the Mobile and Ohio railway, west of
Columbus, in Mississippi, and so rapid was
Wilson's march through
Alabama, that the watchful and .expert enemy could not reach him until he was far down toward Selina.
Forrest put his men in instant motion, to meet the danger.
He sent
Chalmers by way of
Bridgeville toward
Tuscaloosa.
Hearing of this,
Wilson put his forces in rapid motion, with ample supplies, for
Montevallo, beyond the
Cahawba River.
Arriving at
Elyton,
he directed
McCook to send
Croxton's brigade to
Tuscaloosa for the purpose of burning the public property and destroying founderies and factories there.
The adventures of that brigade, which did not rejoin the main body until the expedition had ended, we shall consider presently.
Upton's division was impelled forward.
The small Confederate force found at
Elyton, was driven across the
Cahawba to
Montevallo, as sharply pursued as felled trees, which the fugitives left behind them, would allow.
Upton passed the
Cahawba with his whole division, pushed on to
Montevallo, and in that region destroyed the large
Red Mountain, Central,
Bibb, and Columbiana Iron-works, the
Cahawba Rolling-mills, and five important collieries.
These were all in operation, and were a serious loss to the
Confederates.
Wilson arrived at
Montevallo on the afternoon of the 31st of March.
Upton was just ready to move forward.
Just then the
Confederates made their appearance on the
Selma road, driving in
Upton's pickets.
These consisted of the commands of
Roddy and
Crossland.
After a sharp fight with
Alexander's brigade, they were routed by a charge of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, and driven in confusion toward
Randolph.
They attempted to make a stand at Six-mile Creek, south of
Montevallo, but were again routed with a loss of fifty men made prisoners.
Upton bivouacked fourteen miles south of
Montevallo that night, and early the next morning
rode into
Randolph unmolested.
There he captured a courier, whose
