Battle of Brice's Crossroads was fought on June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn, Mississippi, in Lee County, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. It pitted a 3,200-man contingent led by Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest against an 8,500-strong Union force led by Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis. The battle ended in a rout of the Union forces and cemented Forrest's reputation as one of the great cavalrymen. The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-four mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Prentiss County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ... Union County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans February 4, 1861 until captured... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans February 4, 1861 until captured... Samuel Davis Sturgis (June 11, 1822-September 28, 1889) was an American military officer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877), was a Confederate general and perhaps the American Civil Wars most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ranger (guerrilla leader). ... The Battle of Memphis II was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 21, 1864 in Shelby County, Tennessee. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Baldwyn is a city located in Mississippi. ... Lee County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-four mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877), was a Confederate general and perhaps the American Civil Wars most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ranger (guerrilla leader). ... Samuel Davis Sturgis (June 11, 1822-September 28, 1889) was an American military officer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. ...

This battle remains a textbook example of a grossly outnumbered force prevailing through better tactics, terrain mastery and aggressive offensive action. Despite this, the Confederates gained little through the victory other than keeping the Union out of Alabama and Mississippi temporarily. The battle is commemorated at Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site. More on the battle can be found by visiting the Brice's Crossroads Museum in Baldwyn, Mississippi, just over a mile from the battlefield, or by visiting online at www.bricescrossroads.com . State nickname: Camellia State, The Heart of Dixie¹, Yellowhammer State Official languages English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Governor Bob Riley (R) Senators Richard Shelby (R) Jeff Sessions (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 3. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is a unit of the National Park Service located about 6 miles (10 km) west of Baldwyn, Mississippi, on Mississippi Route 370. ... Baldwyn is a city located in Mississippi. ...

Situation

Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman had long known that his fragile supply and communication lines through Tennessee were in serious jeopardy because of depredations by Forrest's cavalry raids. To effect a halt to Forrest's activities, he ordered Gen. Sturgis to conduct a penetration into northern Mississippi and Alabama with a force of around 8,500 troops to destroy Forrest and his command. Sturgis, after some doubts and trepidation, departed Memphis on June 1. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, alerted of Sturgis, warned Forrest. Lee had also planned a rendezvous at Okolona, Mississippi, with Forrest and his own troops but told Forrest to do as he saw fit. Already in transit to Tennessee, Forrest moved his cavalry (less one division) toward Sturgis, but remained unsure of Union intentions. Portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman by Mathew Brady William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, and author. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Official languages English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Governor Phil Bredesen (D) Senators Bill Frist (R) Lamar Alexander (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 2. ... State nickname: Camellia State, The Heart of Dixie¹, Yellowhammer State Official languages English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Governor Bob Riley (R) Senators Richard Shelby (R) Jeff Sessions (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 3. ... Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, of which it is the county seat. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... Stephen D. Lee (1833‑1908) was a Confederate general. ...

Forrest soon surmised, correctly, that the Union had actually targeted Tupelo, Mississippi, located in Lee County, Mississippi, about 15 miles south of Brice's Crossroads. Although badly outnumbered, he decided to repulse Sturgis instead of waiting for Lee, and selected an area to attack ahead on Sturgis' projected path. He choose Brice's Crossroads, in what is now Lee County, Mississippi, which featured 4 muddy roads, heavily wooded areas and the natural boundary of Tishomingo Creek, which had only one bridge going east to west. Brice's Crossroads is still considered one of the most beautiful battlefields of the Civil War. Forrest, seeing that the Union cavalry moved three hours ahead of its own infantry, devised a plan that called for an attack on the Union cavalry first, with the idea of forcing the enemy infantry to hurry to assist them. Their infantry would be too tired to offer real help and the Confederates planned to push the entire Union force against the creek to the west. Forrest dispatched most of his men to two nearby towns to wait. Tupelo is a city located in Lee County, Mississippi. ... Lee County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ... Lee County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ...

Battle

At 9:45 a.m. on June 10, a brigade of Benjamin H. Grierson's cavalry division reached Brice's Crossroads and the battle started at 10:30 a.m. when the rebels performed a stalling operation with a brigade of their own. Forrest then ordered the rest of his cavalry to converge around the crossroads. The remainder of the Union cavalry arrived in support, but a vicious Confederate assault soon pushed them back at 11:30 a.m., when the balance of Forrest's cavalry arrived on the scene. Grierson called for infantry support and Sturgis obliged. The line held until 1:30 p.m. when the first regiments of federal infantry arrived. June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... Brigadier General Benjamin Henry Grierson (July 8, 1826, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - August 31, 1911, Omena, Michigan) was an American army officer. ...

The Union line, initially bolstered by the infantry, briefly seized the momentum and attacked the Confederate left flank, but Forrest launched an attack from his extreme right and left wings, before the rest of the federal infantry could take to the field. In this phase of the battle, Forrest commanded his artillery to unlimber, unprotected, only yards from the Federal position, and to shell the Union line with grapeshot. The massive damage caused Sturgis to re-order the line in a tighter semi-circle around the crossroads, facing east.

At 3:30, the Confederates in the 2nd Tennessee assaulted the bridge across the Tishomingo. Although the attack failed, it caused severe confusion among the Federal troops and Sturgis ordered a general retreat. With the Tennesseeans still pressing, the retreat bottlenecked at the bridge and a panicked rout developed instead. The ensuing wild flight and pursuit back to Memphis carried across six counties before the exhausted Confederates retired.

Aftermath

The Confederates suffered 492 casualties to the Union's 2,164 (including 1,500 prisoners). Forrest captured huge supplies of arms, artillery and ammunition as well as plenty of stores. Sturgis suffered demotion and exile to the far West. After the battle, the Union Army again accused Forrest of massacring black soldiers. However, historians believe that charge unwarranted, because later prisoner exchanges undermined the Union claim of disproportionate death. The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ...

In 1929 Brice’s Crossroads was declared a “National Battlefield Site.” To commemorate the battle the National Park Service erected, and maintains, monuments and interpretive panels on a small one-acre plot at the crossroads. This is the spot where the Brice family house once stood.

In 1994 concerned local citizens formed the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield Commission, Inc. and began working to protect and preserve additional battlefield land. With assistance from the Civil War Preservation Trust (formerly the APCWS and the Civil War Trust), and the support of Federal, State and local governments, the BCNBC, Inc. has purchased for preservation over 800 acres of the original battlefield.

The modern Bethany Presbyterian Church sits on the southeast side of the crossroads. At the time of the battle this congregation’s meeting house was located further south along the Baldwyn Road. However, the Bethany Cemetery adjacent to the park Service monument site predates the Civil War. Many of the area’s earliest settlers are buried here. The graves of more than 90 Confederate soldiers killed in the battle are also located in this cemetery. Union dead from the battle were buried in common graves on the battlefield, but were later reintured in the National Cemetery at Memphis.

For those of you wondering the geographical direction of the crossroads, the roads lead to Baldwyn, Mississippi, Tupelo, Mississippi, Ripley, Mississippi, & Pontotoc, Mississippi. Tupelo, Mississippi is the county seat for historical Lee County, Mississippi. Baldwyn is a city located in Mississippi. ... Tupelo is a city located in Lee County, Mississippi. ... Tupelo is a city located in Lee County, Mississippi. ... Lee County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ...

Many beautiful paintings were created by various artists from around the world, depicting various scenes and events from the Battle of Brice's Crossroads.