I notified General Halleck that I should attack the State capital on the 14th.  A courier carried the dispatch to Grand Gulf through an unprotected country.

Sherman and McPherson communicated with each other during the night and arranged to reach Jackson at about the same hour.  It rained in torrents during the night of the 13th and the fore part of the day of the 14th.  The roads were intolerable, and in some places on Sherman’s line, where the land was low, they were covered more than a foot deep with water.  But the troops never murmured.  By nine o’clock Crocker, of McPherson’s corps, who was now in advance, came upon the enemy’s pickets and speedily drove them in upon the main body.  They were outside of the intrenchments in a strong position, and proved to be the troops that had been driven out of Raymond.  Johnston had been reinforced; during the night by Georgia and South Carolina regiments, so that his force amounted to eleven thousand men, and he was expecting still more.

Sherman also came upon the rebel pickets some distance out from the town, but speedily drove them in.  He was now on the south and south-west of Jackson confronting the Confederates behind their breastworks, while McPherson’s right was nearly two miles north, occupying a line running north and south across the Vicksburg railroad.  Artillery was brought up and reconnoissances made preparatory to an assault.  McPherson brought up Logan’s division while he deployed Crocker’s for the assault.  Sherman made similar dispositions on the right.  By eleven A.M. both were ready to attack.  Crocker moved his division forward, preceded by a strong skirmish line.  These troops at once encountered the enemy’s advance and drove it back on the main body, when they returned to their proper regiment and the whole division charged, routing the enemy completely and driving him into this main line.  This stand by the enemy was made more than two miles outside of his main fortifications.  McPherson followed up with his command until within range of the guns of the enemy from their intrenchments, when he halted to bring his troops into line and reconnoitre to determine the next move.  It was now about noon.

While this was going on Sherman was confronting a rebel battery which enfiladed the road on which he was marching—­the Mississippi Springs road—­and commanded a bridge spanning a stream over which he had to pass.  By detaching right and left the stream was forced and the enemy flanked and speedily driven within the main line.  This brought our whole line in front of the enemy’s line of works, which was continuous on the north, west and south sides from the Pearl River north of the city to the same river south.  I was with Sherman.  He was confronted by a force sufficient to hold us back.  Appearances did not justify an assault where we were.  I had directed Sherman to send a force to the right, and to reconnoitre as far as to the Pearl River.