Tupelo Campaign: Old Town Creek, July 15

Tupelo Campaign: Old Town Creek, July 15. . Although General Smith and the Union troops had defeated the Confederates on July 14, according to Sherman's orders. Smith should have attacked Forrest and Lee in an attempt to destroy the Confederate cavalry. Examining his supplies that evening, however, Smith learned that he was running Row rations and ammunition. He concluded that a withdrawal was in order. , The Union infantry began marching north on the morning of July 15, and skirmishers were deployed to cover the withdrawal. In the meantime the cavalry was ordered to lay waste to several miles of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Once the withdrawal was discovered, Confederate cavalry pursued and caught up with the Federals that afternoon at Old Town Creek. , An attack by Confederate cavalry and artillery from high ground caught the Union soldiers off guard as they were fording the creek. Federal troops recovered quickly, however and pushed back the attackers. General Abraham Buford's division was completely routed, and General Forrest was shot in the foot. The Confederates pulled back, and the Federals bivouacked here for the night before continuing their return to Memphis. , Smith had not only accomplished his primary mission of keeping Forrest away from Sherman's supply line in Tennessee, he had crippled Forrest's command. The combat effectiveness of General Abraham Buford's Confederate division was destroyed. General Lee wrote, am sure he Forrest did the best as he saw it. I am sure I did my best as saw it.", "I drove the enemy's rear before me to the creek bottom, with considerable loss. , ... The support I was expecting not arriving, and the force of the enemy , being so much superior to my own, I was forced to withdraw." , Confederate general Abraham Buford