Key Facts
- Duration
- February 14–20, 1864 (7 days)
- Start point
- Vicksburg, Mississippi
- End point
- Meridian, Mississippi
- Union commander
- Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
- Confederate cavalry commander
- Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
Strategic Narrative Overview
Sherman led the Army of the Tennessee out of Vicksburg on February 14, 1864, advancing rapidly across central Mississippi. A supporting column under Brigadier General William Sooy Smith was ordered to neutralize Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest and link up with Sherman. Colonel James Henry Coates moved up the Yazoo River, briefly occupying Yazoo City. Sherman reached Meridian largely unopposed and spent several days systematically destroying its rail facilities and military infrastructure.
01 / The Origins
By early 1864, the Union controlled the Mississippi River following the fall of Vicksburg and sought to extend its hold over the Deep South. Meridian, Mississippi, was a key Confederate rail hub and supply center. Sherman planned a rapid strike eastward from Vicksburg to destroy Confederate infrastructure, disrupt enemy communications, and free up forces for the coming Atlanta campaign, while supporting columns dealt with Confederate cavalry and secured the Yazoo River valley.
03 / The Outcome
Sherman captured and heavily damaged Meridian by February 20, 1864, wrecking railroads and Confederate supply infrastructure across central Mississippi. Smith's column failed to neutralize Forrest and did not link up as planned. Sherman returned to Vicksburg, having demonstrated that a Union army could march deep into Confederate territory living off the land and causing widespread destruction, a template he would apply on a larger scale during the Savannah campaign later that year.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, Brig. Gen. William Sooy Smith, Col. James Henry Coates.
Side B
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.