Sherman put his cavalry under General William Sooy Smith, and directed him to leave Memphis on February 1st for Meridian, by the way of Pontotoc, Okolona and Columbus. The distance was two hundred and fifty miles, and Smith was to reach his goal on February 10th. He was to strike boldly at any large force that might menace him, to disregard all petty bands of the enemy, and, above all, to arrive at Meridian at the exact date named. Two minor expeditions were at the same time sent out, up the Yazoo and to the Big Black, to keep the enemy quiet there. Then, on February 3d, Sherman himself set out from Vicksburg, with Hurlbut, McPherson, and E. F. Winslow, having four divisions and a brigade, marching in two columns. There were in all about 25,000 men. Sherman himself was with Hurlbut's column. After crossing the Big Black River they headed for Bolton, fifteen miles away. There they had a skirmish with the enemy, resulting in the killing of twelve men and the wounding of thirty-five. The Rebel loss was much larger, a number of their dead being left on the field. McPherson's infantry forces marched up rapidly, and dispersed Lee's cavalry, estimated at 6,000 men, without any serious encounter. With his usual energy McPherson continued to press them closely, and so hotly were the retreating Rebels pursued that four miles east of Bolton, Winslow succeeded in flanking them with a force of 1,400 cavalry. The capture of the whole force seemed inevitable at this juncture, but the main body escaped, and only a few prisoners were taken. Without much opposition the entire army marched rapidly toward Jackson, Lee's cavalry fleeing in the greatest disorder in the direction of Canton, a flourishing little town twenty miles north of Jackson. Here Winslow's cavalry closed in upon the Rebel columns, capturing a large number of prisoners and one piece of artillery, a ten-pounder Parrott gun, together with a caisson stocked with ammunition, which was subsequently used with good effect upon the enemy's lines. Jackson was reached on the evening of February 5th, and McPherson at once ordered the Tenth Missouri Cavalry Regiment to secure the Rebel pontoon bridge across Pearl River. General French, the Rebel officer, had crossed this bridge but a few moments in advance, and a large gang of Rebels were busily engaged in destroying it, when the sudden appearance of the Missourians caused them to retreat. The bridge was saved, and the next day the troops found it convenient for crossing Pearl River. Sherman ordered the advance to proceed to Brandon, some twelve miles distant, meeting with but slight resistance on their march. At Jackson, some twenty buildings were destroyed by the slaves in retaliation for the cruelties perpetrated upon them by their masters. At Brandon, similar scenes were witnessed, and the outraged bondmen and bondwomen revenged the brutality of those they once were compelled to call masters. [Illustration: CAPTURING THEIR HEADQUARTERS.]