Leaving Okolona, Generals Smith and Grierson entered the Prairie land of Mississippi. The land between   Okolona and West Point had been dubbed in the 19th Century as "The Land of Egypt" due to its abundance of granaries, corncribs, gin houses, cotton in the Prairie. These commodities were supporting the Confederate army. They were considereda target for demolition and destruction by the Union army. A lot of these stores were found along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.
As the Federals pushed farther south down the M & O Railroad, they burned these supplies. Slaves left the Plantations and attached themselves to the Federal army. They, and the Federals, began burning homes and barns. The burning became so intense smoke could be seen for miles all the way down to West Point.
On February 19th, as Union General Smith was marching south from Okolona, Forrest had ordered Bell's Brigade and General Ruggles to Columbus to prevent the Federals from crossing the Tombigbee. Brigadier General Chalmers was ordered by Forrest to send Jeffrey Forrest's brigade to Aberdeen or close to Aberdeen "to meet and ascertain the movements of the enemy".
February 20, 1864
 General Smith had concentrated all his forces around Prairie Station, approximately 15 miles north of West Point. On February 20th, Smith had begun moving his forces south toward West Point.
McCulloch's Brigade and Richardson's brigade under Colonel Neely had been ordered by Forrest to move to West Point. Richardson was to take his command of Dismounted Cavalry to Starkville to protect the wagon train. Scouts were sent out in the direction of Houston to keep an eye on the Federals in case they decided to split their forces moving in the direction of Houston. This was a characteristic move of Grierson since he had done it once before when marching south through the area. The Confederates had not forgotten.
Jeffrey Forrest's Brigade stood between West Point and Smith's Cavalry in the Prairie region north of the town. Approximately five miles south of Prairie Station Jeffrey Forrest's Brigade formed a line of battle in plain view of the Federals.
In a report submitted on March 15, 1864 by Lieut.-Colonel William P. Hepburn of the Second Iowa Cavalry and commanding the Second Brigade, on the morning of the 20th the whole command moved in the direction of West Point with the Second Brigade in front. According to the report, the Second Iowa Cavalry was in advance of the brigade with the Sixth Illinois Cavalry on the left flank on the railroad which they destroyed. Close to Loohatten Station, Colonel Starr of the Second Iowa reported the Confederates in force in their front. This was approximately 6 miles north of West Point.
Seventeen men of Company K of the Second Iowa encountered the Confederates which were superior to the Second Iowa. The 2nd Iowa charged the Confederates. However, the Rebels pulled back to keep from being involved in a major action. Actually Jeffrey Forrest was buying time for General Forrest to strategically place the rest of his forces around West Point.
A mile and a half north of West Point the Second Iowa engaged the Confederates once again between 1-2 pm on Saturday, February 20th. By 3 pm the Confederates had pulled back through West Point to the protection of the Sakatonchee and Oktibbeha Creeks.
In the Official Records of the War Between the States General "Sooy" Smith described his actions upon arriving in West Point
"The whole command arrived near West Point about 3 pm, and careful reconnaissances were made of the Sakatonchee Swamp on our right, the Oktibbeha on our front, and the Tombigbee on our left. They were all found strongly held by the enemy, present in four brigades and to the number of about 6,000 or 7,000 according to the best information that could be obtained.
 Where were Forrest's troops really located the afternoon of February 20th? Forrest had sent Colonel Tyree Bell with troops to guard the crossing at Waverley Landing which led to Columbus. Colonel Neely, with part of Richardson's Brigade,  was sent to the Tibbee Community to guard the crossing. The rest of Richardson's Brigade and McCulloch's Command held the cul-de-sac formed by the Sakatonchee and Line Creek where it formed the Oktibbeha Creek (Tibbee). Here 3 miles southwest of West Point was a perfect place to trap Smith's army as he tried to cross the Oktibbeha on his way south. Colonel Jeffrey Forrest was attempting to draw Smith's command into the cul-de-sac. This plan did not work.
Faulkner's Kentuckians and Chalmer's Command held the Sakatonchee 3 miles west of West Point protecting Ellis Bridge and the "Houston to West Point" road west of town. General Gholson's State Partisan Rangers were at Palo Alto to prohibit the Federals from attempting to get behind Forrest's command and taking the same route south Grierson had used in 1863. In the meantime, General Stephen D. Lee was moving up Line Creek to connect with Forrest's command. This was the disposition of Forrest's army on the evening of February 20th, 1864.
During the night of February 20th Jeffrey Forrest had his men throw up temporary breastworks of rails and logs to protect them and to strengthen their position should a fight occur the next day. This line of defense was thrown up out in front of Ellis Bridge.
Late in the evening General Forrest received word a patrol of Federals were attempting to cross the Sakatonchee 4 miles north of Ellis Bridge. They were destroying property and were scouting for a crossing to get in behind the Confederates and flank Forrest. General Forrest, accompanied by his Escort Company, rode to the area. They surprised the raiders. Getting between the Federals and the bridge they had crossed, Forrest captured the entire party of about 25-30 troopers of the Fourth United States Regulars. Forrest had the bridge burned and then returned to Ellis Bridge with his prisoners.
From a small pocket diary of Pvt. William D. Howell, Co. I, 3rd MS Cavalry, Howell wrote of the night he spent in line before the fight "...we laid in line of battle all last  night in front of Sakatonchee Creek at Ellis Bridge. This morning we drove the enemy back..."
Early on Sunday morning, February 21st, Federals of the Second Iowa Cavalry advanced on the Confederates. The Federals attacked the Rebel positions with four dismounted companies, two twelve-pound Mountain howitzers. The firing between the two forces was brisk for nearly three (3) hours until around 10 am. At this time the Federals broke off their assault retreating toward West Point.
Once Colonel Jeffrey Forrest realized the Federals were retreating/retiring from the front he reported this to General Forrest. It was reported the Federals executed a systematic retreat. Forrest believed this fighting was only buying time for Smith to retreat. Forrest ordered Captain H.A. Tyler to take his own company and one other company of Faulkner's Twelfth Kentucky which equaled a total strength of 150 men. They were to take their companies and follow the Federals to see what they were doing. Once the Federal purpose was clear, Forrest immediately sent dispatches to all his units to immediately move north to press the Federals.
Tyree Bell was ordered by Forrest to bring his men across the Tombigbee at Waverley. He was to follow the Tombigbee River north to keep Smith from crossing the river. Captain Tyler pursued the Federals through West Point north. He charged them but they offered little resistance. When arriving in West Point from the west, Tyler learned the Federals had retreated north toward Okolona. He reported this to General Forrest at once. Tyler had approximately 1500 Federals in front of him, including several pieces of artillery.
The Yankees stopped, threw up a line of defense and fired on the Rebels. Captain Tyler, with his men in battle line protected by heavy timber, waited for General Forrest to arrive with his Escort Company. Once Forrest was on the scene he took command and pursued the Federals. Nearly 4 miles north of West Point, the Federals took a stand in some Post Oak timber at the edge of the Prairie. Here the Confederates dismounted and deployed as skirmishers driving the Federals north from their positions. This type of fighting occurred all the way to Okolona where a heated battle took place at Ivey Hill on February 22nd.
Ultimately Smith was driven back to Tennessee. North Mississippi was rid of the Federals for a little while. A question to ask is: Did this few days of fighting serve a strategic purpose both for the Federals and the Confederates? It did prove an inferior force in a defensive position could hold out against a far superior force with a well extended supply line. It proved to Sherman a force of men could subsist deep into enemy territory. This campaign could be looked at as a precursor to Sherman's March to the Sea. Forrest was able to keep Smith from linking up with Sherman. Psychological warfare was proven successful by Forrest as a means of feeding the enemy with false information that affected his decisions to move forward. Finally, it proved guerrilla warfare is far superior and more effective than Military Academy Napoleonic Tactics.
The Battle of Ellis Bridge in West Point, Mississippi played a more strategic part than it is credited with. At Ellis Bridge and in West Point, a far superior Federal army was stopped from linking up with Sherman. That same army was forced to retreat back north to Tennessee after having been beaten several times by smaller Confederate forces. The Meridian Campaign fell apart at West Point. It was a failure! Even Sherman returned to Vicksburg after giving up waiting on Smith to join him in Meridian. Another year went by before the Federal army was able to take Selma. In the summer of 1864 Sherman split Georgia in half and marched to the sea while destroying everything in his path. The Meridian Campaign was a practice run for future campaigns. Thanks to the Wizard of the Saddle, this campaign failed!
Today there is a bridge crossing the area fought over. Houses occupy part of the battlefield. And, the creek's channel has possibly changed through the years. Still much of the farmland is as it was then. Even the road west of town follows much the same path as it did in 1864 .
Charles C. Horton, a member of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry, who fought at Ellis Bridge on February 21st, 1864,wrote these words in his Journal after the war. He directed them to Union veterans in general and specifically to fellow members of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry. Colonel Horton expressed desires similar to many leaders in the Civil War, both North and South, at the end of the war.
"Yes, go back to your home and loved ones, tell your children of the ties and comradeship that bind us together; tell them the story of the ward; see that they read aright the story of the great conflict, the great sacrifice of life and treasure, necessary to the preservation and perpetuation of the Union; but teach them no sectional bitterness; instill within their hearts no hatred or animosity toward the boys in gray, who met us in honorable warfare. Teach them that they were as brave as gallant as any men who ever drew saber or shouldered a musket. Teach them that we are one people, whose aims and interests, hopes and fears, should and must be the same...
(From Colonel Charles C. Horton, 2nd Iowa Cavalry who was a Major when in West Point. Link)
Prepared by : John W. McBryde
Last Revised 13 February 2007
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