The night of the 15th Hovey was at Bolton; Carr and Osterhaus were about three miles south, but abreast, facing west; Smith was north of Raymond with Blair in his rear.

McPherson’s command, with Logan in front, had marched at seven o’clock, and by four reached Hovey and went into camp; Crocker bivouacked just in Hovey’s rear on the Clinton road.  Sherman with two divisions, was in Jackson, completing the destruction of roads, bridges and military factories.  I rode in person out to Clinton.  On my arrival I ordered McClernand to move early in the morning on Edward’s station, cautioning him to watch for the enemy and not bring on an engagement unless he felt very certain of success.

I naturally expected that Pemberton would endeavor to obey the orders of his superior, which I have shown were to attack us at Clinton.  This, indeed, I knew he could not do; but I felt sure he would make the attempt to reach that point.  It turned out, however, that he had decided his superior’s plans were impracticable, and consequently determined to move south from Edward’s station and get between me and my base.  I, however, had no base, having abandoned it more than a week before.  On the 15th Pemberton had actually marched south from Edward’s station, but the rains had swollen Baker’s Creek, which he had to cross so much that he could not ford it, and the bridges were washed away.  This brought him back to the Jackson road, on which there was a good bridge over Baker’s Creek.  Some of his troops were marching until midnight to get there.  Receiving here early on the 16th a repetition of his order to join Johnston at Clinton, he concluded to obey, and sent a dispatch to his chief, informing him of the route by which he might be expected.

About five o’clock in the morning (16th) two men, who had been employed on the Jackson and Vicksburg railroad, were brought to me.  They reported that they had passed through Pemberton’s army in the night, and that it was still marching east.  They reported him to have eighty regiments of infantry and ten batteries; in all, about twenty-five thousand men.

I had expected to leave Sherman at Jackson another day in order to complete his work; but getting the above information I sent him orders to move with all dispatch to Bolton, and to put one division with an ammunition train on the road at once, with directions to its commander to march with all possible speed until he came up to our rear.  Within an hour after receiving this order Steele’s division was on the road.  At the same time I dispatched to Blair, who was near Auburn, to move with all speed to Edward’s station.  McClernand was directed to embrace Blair in his command for the present.  Blair’s division was a part of the 15th army corps (Sherman’s); but as it was on its way to join its corps, it naturally struck our left first, now that we had faced about and were moving west.  The 15th corps, when it got up, would be on our extreme