On the morning of the 17th of April, Colonel Grierson received orders from General Grant to move his force out on the Ripley road; accordingly, his brigade, consisting of the Sixth Illinois cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Loomis; the Seventh Illinois cavalry, Colonel Edward Prince; and the Second Iowa cavalry, Colonel Edward Hatch, obeying the directions they had received, bivouacked for the night on a plantation a few miles northwest of the town of Ripley. During the night five guerrillas were captured by the Union men. On the morning of the next day the march began; the main body of Colonel Grierson’s men proceeded in a southerly direction, while one regiment, the Second Iowa, crossed the Tallahatchie, and went in a southeasterly direction. On both sides of the river the enemy’s pickets were posted in all directions, endeavoring to prevent the Union soldiers from crossing, and there was constant skirmishing between them and the rebels. The pickets were constantly driven in; and an attempt to fire the bridge at New Albany was prevented by the rapid movements of Grierson’s men. At the close of the day the Union troops had accomplished their contemplated march, and were stationed as follows: the Sixth and Seventh Illinois regiments were encamped on a plantation a few miles south of New Albany, and the Second Iowa about four miles east of the same place. The Second Iowa, during the night, repulsed a severe attack of the enemy. On the morning of the 19th, Colonel Grierson dispersed his troops in various directions, with a view to mislead the enemy, and cause him to suppose that the main object of the expedition was to break up the various military organizations in that part of the country. Accordingly, one detachment marched to the eastward, another moved back toward New Albany, and a third marched northwest towards King’s Bridge; and the enemy was thus completely puzzled and in total ignorance of the real destination of the Union forces.