MERIDIAN (Miss.), Expedition to. In January 1864 General Sherman concentrated two divisions of 10,000 each at Vicksburg under Generals McPherson and Hurlbut, and 3 Feb ruary marched eastward with the purpose of destroying Meridian, 150 miles distant, as a rail road centre, and possibly penetrating to Selma, Ala., or, if the opposing forces did not seem too strong at Mobile, to turn southward from Meridian and attempt the capture of that city. Gen. Sooy Smith was to co-operate with a cavalry force from Memphis; General Dodge, in command at Pulaski, Term., was to hold Logan at Bellefonte, Ala., for a diversion toward Rome, Ga.; and General Thomas was to demonstrate toward Dalton to prevent troops 'being sent by General Johnston to Sherman's front. Sherman entered Jackson on the 6th, after heavy skirmishing with cavalry. Decant was reached on the 12th. Meridian was take the 14th, the Confederate force, under Ge Leonidas Polk, being much less than Shermn'i withdrawing toward Demopolis. The arum_ extensive storehouses and cantonments wer, burned. The work of destroying the raffroai centring at Meridian began on the 16th, ti miles being rendered utterly useless to tit north and east and 55 miles toward Moir This destruction was of the most system::: and thorough character; 10,000 men worked it for five days; 61 bridges and culverts a: more than a mile of trestles over swamps we burned; all rails were renderd useless. Ti
object of the expedition was fully gained. is Meridian was not wholly restored as a railrar centre during the war. Thereafter, the mt., porting of supplies eastward from the State c Mississippi was seriously interrupted for long time and was greatly impeded up to t'l-t close of the war, while all military which required railroad facilities were rendre extremely difficult.
The expedition, however, was not as sir cessful as had been hoped. The Confederate by the exercise of great energy in the face many difficulties, so strengthened Mobile as:: forbid an advance in that direction. Sher= not receiving the cavalry support under Ge Sooy Smith which he had reason to from Memphis, was unable to push on to Seim Ala., one of the great manufacturing cities as storehouses for military supplies of the Con federacy. Smith, in turn, had been unavoida.1 detained, and Sherman returned to Vickslert reaching its vicinity 26 February. His cue wand had marched between 300 and 400 milt bad crossed Mississippi and inflicted well-Et:: irreparable military damage; but had been Deo vented from carrying out his Confederate activity in assembling forces in extreme front.