Tishomingo Creek Bridge

At the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, the Federal retreat was funneled onto a small bridge over Tishomingo Creek, where the narrow span became a bottleneck for Sturgis' Expeditionary Force as horses, wagons, cannon, and men all tried to cross at once. Heavy rains in the previous days had raised the level of the deeply banked creek, making passage without the bridge very difficult. Panicked soldiers and horses in full retreat tried to swim across; many succeeded, but others were swept away by the rushing water. In 1953, local residents found human remains in the Tishomingo creekbed less than 100 yards away, most likely those of a Union soldier from the battle, along with a pocket watch and the rusted remnants of an Army canteen and rifle. The bones were later interred with other Civil War soldiers in Bethany Cemetery.

Mississippi · United States