Thanks George. I was familiar with these pages. The monument sits approximately one-mile west of the location of the bridge and according to the OR's the battle and location of the Confederate breastworks was 400 yards east of the bridge. When I was a kid, I lived in West Point from age four through age twelve. We lived in two different homes, which were in close proximity to this battlefield. One was about four miles North of the battle and the other about 1-1/2 miles Northeast.

About four miles North of the bridge on Sakatonchee creek was another bridge, over which a small group of U.S. Regular cavalry had moved and were "gobbled up" by N. B. Forrest and a group of men, probably his escort and maybe some of Faulkner's Kentuckians.

The more I read about this engagement, the more it appears to have been a delaying action to hold the Confederate forces in place, so Sooy Smith could begin a retreat unmolested. When the Union forces began retreating from Ellis Bridge, Forrest realized this and began a rapid pursuit, overtaking a part of the rear guard, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, within the town of West Point. The modern road between West Point and Okolona is Hwy. 45. The period road appears to have followed the current railroad line, which runs from West Point through Prairie and then to Okolona. The Union forces made a brief stand about five miles North of West Point on a ridge and then fell back to Okolona, where the largest battle in this campaign was fought on Ivey Hill. Jeffrey Forrest, the general's brother was killed in this fight.

My attempt in these postings is to make clear in my own mind the location of events on a map and in my mind's (memory's) eye.

Thanks,

Jim