there displayed were in every respect the same which now receive the sanction of modern science—sudden deployment and bold attack, outflanking the enemy's wings, dividing the enemy's forces, rallying, attacking the rear, supporting the menaced point, and, to crown all, a pursuit of six hundred stadia (seventy-five miles) in twenty-four hours. Never was there a greater achievement in ancient or modern warfare."
When a new edition of Roemer's work on cavaly is written, it is to be hoped that the battle of "Tishmingo Creek," or "Bryce's Crossroads," as the Federals call it, will not be forgotten, where the battle was fought and a pursuit of sixty miles made all in thirty hours.
THE FIRST INVASION OF A. J. SMITH INTO MISSISSIPPI.
That you may appreciate the immense work Forrest was now doing, besides keeping about thirty thousand men constantly engaged to watch him, I call attention to the following telegrams from General Sherman. His telegram from Nashville, dated April 4, 1864, to General Rawlings, shows that General Corse was sent up Red river to bring A. J. Smith "with all dispatch to Vicksburg and up the Yazoo river and rapidly occupy Grenada. His appearance there, with ten thousand men, will be a big bombshell in Forrest's camp, should he, as I fear he will, elude General Hurlbut. At Grenada, Smith will do all the mischief he can, and then strike boldly across the country by Aberdeen to Russellville and Decatur." This movement was defeated by the victory over Sooy Smith and the advance into Middle Tennessee and Kentucky. A little later A. J. Smith was ordered to assist in taking Mobile; and this was broken up by the defeat of Sturgis, as shown by the following telegram from General Sherman to Honorable E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, dated Big Shanty, June 14, 1864: "I have just received news of the defeat of our party sent out from Memphis, whose chief object was to hold Forrest there and keep him off our road. I have ordered A. J. Smith not to go to Mobile, but to go out from Memphis and defeat Forrest at all costs."
Again, as early as June 6, General Sherman telegraphed General Thomas to prepare a cavalry raid for Opelika, Alabama; but when it was ready to move he was afraid to let it start, and telegraphed to General Rousseau, at Nashville, June 20th, . . "wait and see what Forrest will do." And on the 29th June to the same officer: "Do not start until we know something definite of General A. J. Smith." To the same officer on the 30th June: "The movement I want you to study and be prepared for is contingent on the fact that General A. J. Smith defeats Forrest or holds him well in check." And July 6th to the same officer: "That cavalry expedition must be off now. . . . I have official information that General A. J. Smith is out from Memphis, with force enough to give Forrest full occupation."
On the 24th June General Sherman telegraphs, through his aid, L. M. Dayton, to General Thomas: "General A. J. Smith moves
