of southern Mississippi obstruct the breeze, while
affording no protection from the sun, whose rays are intensified by
reflection from the white, sandy soil. Jackson reached, I stopped for an
hour to see the Governor of Mississippi, Clarke, an old acquaintance,
and give instructions to Brigadier Wirt Adams, the local commander; then
took rail to Meridian, eighty miles, where I found the records of the
department left by General Polk, as well as several officers of the
general staff. These gentlemen had nothing especial to do, and appeared
to be discharging that duty conscientiously; but they were zealous and
intelligent, and speedily enabled me to judge of the situation.
Major-General Maury, in immediate command at Mobile, and the senior
officer in the department before my arrival, had ordered General Forrest
with his cavalry to Mobile in anticipation of an attack. Forrest himself
was expected to pass through Meridian that evening, _en route_ for
Mobile.

Just from the Mississippi river, where facilities for obtaining
information from New Orleans were greater than at Mobile, I was
confident that the enemy contemplated no immediate attack on the latter
place. Accordingly, General Maury was informed by telegraph of my
presence, that I assumed command of the department, and would arrest
Forrest's movement. An hour later a train from the north, bringing
Forrest in advance of his troops, reached Meridian, and was stopped; and
the General, whom I had never seen, came to report. He was a tall,
stalwart man, with grayish hair, mild countenance, and slow and homely
of speech. In few words he was informed that I considered Mobile safe
for the present, and that all our energies must be directed to the
relief of Hood's army, then west of Atlanta. The only way to accomplish
this was to worry Sherman's communications north of the Tennessee river,
and he must move his cavalry in that direction at the earliest moment.

To my surprise, Forrest suggested many difficulties and asked numerous
questions: how he was to get over the Tennessee; how he was to get back
if pressed by the enemy; how he was to be supplied; what should be his
line of retreat in certain contingencies; what he was to do with
prisoners if any were taken, etc. I began to think he had no stomach for
the work; but at last, having isolated the chances of success from
causes of failure with the care of a chemist experimenting in his
laboratory, he rose and asked for Flemi