NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
January and February 1864
From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, February 19, 1864.
FROM MEMPHIS.
PROGRESS OF GEN. SHERMAN.
HIS ADVANCE AT MERIDIAN, MISS.
ITEMS, RUMORS, ETC.
[Special dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]
MEMPHIS, February 14, VIA CAIRO, February 18. – I learned from a gentleman from below that the advance of General Sherman’s expedition, at later accounts, had reached Meridian. The rebel General Polk, who was at Meridian, with 16,000 men, managed to evacuate the place in time to avoid our forces, which passed on unopposed, while the rebels, under Wirt Adams and Logan came up and took possession of Jackson after our troops have left it. In the meantime, Sherman is moving onward. Sherman has a long and hazardous march before him, and will probably subsist his large army upon the enemy’s country.
Grand preparations are being made here for our great emancipation mass meeting, to be held on the 22d. We hope to have a number of distinguished speakers from abroad, among whom, the Hon. Horace Maynard and others, with Governors Yates and Andrew Johnson.
In secesh circles here there is a rumor afloat that General Smith, heading Sherman’s cavalry had had a fight lately near Meridian, Mississippi, and had been himself severely wounded. I can trace the retreat no satisfactory source, and put it down as a secesh canard.
J. M. Tomeny, Esq., yesterday received authority from Secretary Chase to take charge of the Treasury’s affairs in this city is a special agent of this District.
