Exploring The Brices Cross Roads Battlefield

The driving tour for Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is managed by the Mississippi Final Stands Interpretive Center, owned and operated by the city of Baldwyn, MS. The Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield was established in February of 1929 with the intention of preserving 1 acre in commemoration of the battle. Since then the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield Commission has purchased 1600 acres of the hallowed ground. With the help of the Civil War Trust and local support, they have preserved many other areas associated with the battle. For a map of the roughly 8-mile driving tour contact the Mississippi's Final Stands Interpretive Center. In 1863 Federal armies won important victories at Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and Chattanooga. In the spring of 1864 the Federal mission was to bisect the South from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the Atlantic coast at Savannah, Georgia. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman wanted to destroy the Confederate Army led by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and occupy Atlanta along the way as he executed his “March to the Sea.” Sherman knew that his plan was vulnerable. To supply his large troop movement into north Georgia, he depended on the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. This line could be most threatened by the excellent horseman of Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry corp. Sherman needed to keep Forrest in north Mississippi. On June 1 Forrest put his 3,500 horsemen in motion at Tupelo, headed for Tennessee. By June 4 they had reached Russellville, Alabama. Meanwhile, a concerned Sherman ordered Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis and a force of 8,100 to move out of Memphis and threaten north Mississippi in hopes of drawing Forrest away from Sherman’s much needed railroad in Tennessee. It worked! Forrest was ordered by Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Lee to return to Tupelo. On the evening of June 9, Forrest learned that Sturgis’s forces were camped about 10 miles northwest of Brices Cross Roads. Both commanders knew that the next day would bring battle. Stops Along the Driving Tour Tour Stop #1 - First Shots of the Battle of Brices Cross Roads This monument was erected by the State of Mississippi in 1957. It represents the beginning of the Battle of Brices Cross Roads. The first shots of the battle took place in this location between the Federal Cavalry represented by the 4th Missouri and the Confederate cavalry represented by the 7th Tennessee. Tour Stop #2 - Cavalry Skirmish Near here the Federal and Confederate advance forces of cavalry met in their skirmish lines. The 2nd New Jersey Cavalry were equipped with Spencer repeating rifles and were able to inflict heavy casualties on the Confederate forces before falling back to the main Federal battle line. Tour Stop #3 - Federal Cavalry and Artillery Formed First Battle Line Federal cavalry and artillery formed their first battle line here. The Federal army battle line extended five hundred yards north and more than a mile south, across the Guntown Road. The soldiers who were behind rail fences and dense scrub-oak thickets fought stubbornly as the Confederates pushed on to the crossroads. Hand to hand fighting occurred along this line. Tour Stop #4 - Confederates Second Battle Line Confederates Second Battle Line. Pushing the Union forces back, General Forrest slowly closed his pincers movement, forcing General Sturgis' soldiers back towards the crossroads. This Confederate battle line was anchored on the Blackland Road four hundred yards northwest. The southern end of the battle line ran across the Guntown Road. Tour Stop #5 - Federal's Second Battle Line Federal's Second Battle Line. General Sturgis was able to use his infantry here for the first time in the battle. General Forrest had beaten back the Federal cavalry before the Federal infantry reached the battlefield. Infantry and cavalry formed this second battle line. Tour Stop #6 - Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Monument This granite monument was placed here in the 1930s. The National Battlefield was established and originally managed by the War Department starting in 1929. The monument commemorates the men who fought at the Battle of Brices Cross Roads. Tour Stop #7 - Log Cabin Knoll As Union troops retreated past this location toward Tishomingo Creek, they faced not only a blocked bridge and rain-swollen creek, but also deadly cannon fire coming from this ridge. Confederate artillerymen rained fire upon the scrambling Federal soldiers with four field guns--two twelve-pounder howitzers and two three-inch ordnance rifles. Tour Stop #8 - Tishomingo Creek Bridge The end of the main part of the Battle at Brices Cross Roads centered on a small bridge across Tishomingo Creek. The rains of the previous several days had raised the water level of the creek, making it difficult to cross without using the bridge. The bridge soon became a bottleneck for General Sturgis expeditionary force as horses, wagons, cannon, and men attempted to cross the creek. Tour Stop #9 - James Jourdan's Grave James Jourdan was a confederate soldier from Alabama who was wounded at the Battle of Brices Cross Roads and died nearby at the Phillips family home. Sergeant Jourdan was buried on their property, and at some point two cedar trees were planted to mark his grave. Tour Stop #10 - United States Colored Troops on White House Ridge This is the site of the Union defensive stand on the "White House Ridge" by the United States Colored Troops (USCT). It was here that the Federals attempted to stop the Confederate pursuit or at least slow it down to give the other Union regiments time to get themselves and the wagon train to safety. During the Battle of Brices Cross Roads there were 12,000 men engaged on June 10, 1864 with 3,105 casualties. See People to learn about some of them. See Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site for additional information.