Spoils of War

At Brice's Crossroads, Confederate cannon fire shattered exhausted Union troops waiting to cross Tishomingo Creek, and a somewhat orderly retreat became a panicked rout as soldiers swam the creek to avoid the clogged bridge, fled into the woods, and officers lost control of their units. One month later, at the Battle of Tupelo, Union general A. J. Smith defeated the Confederates on July 14 but chose to return to Memphis because his supplies were running low, a technical retreat unlike the earlier flight of General Sturgis' force. After Brice's Crossroads, General Forrest learned from reports by his provost marshall, chief quartermaster, and chief of ordnance that his command had captured 1,618 men, including Col. G W McKeaig of the 10th Illinois, an assistant surgeon, captains, lieutenants, noncommissioned officers, musicians, and privates, along with mules, horses, wagons, ambulances, harnesses, 16 cannon, limbers, caissons, artillery ammunition, 15,000 stands of small-arms, 300,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, accoutrements, and artillery harness.

Mississippi · United States