Sherman at Decatur

During the Meridian Expedition, Major General William T. Sherman ordered the Sixteenth Corps to move east while he waited with one infantry regiment at Decatur Crossroads. As Sherman retired for the night, the regiment mistakenly left him unguarded. Seeing an isolated wagon train but unaware of Sherman's presence, Confederate cavalry suddenly attacked, and the house where Sherman was quartered was surrounded. Rescued by the timely return of the 25th Wisconsin Infantry, Sherman narrowly escaped capture.

Decatur, Mississippi · United States