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Coffeeville after the Confederates in early December abandoned the Tallahatchee line and began a retreat behind the Yalabusha on the Mississippi Central Railroad about 25 miles south of Abbeville. "No hard battlehe says, "only picket duty skirmishing But despite his low-key appraisal, the engagements between the two forces were becoming increasingly heavy. The rail lines from Columbus and Memphis, especially the former, were pouring supplies into the Holly Springs warehouses, and Grant seemed to feel his overland drive to Vicksburg was gathering speed. But his drive to the south came to a disastrous halt just before Christmas 1862.
The cause of this disaster was a simple one. Van Dorn, now commanding Pemberton?s cavalry, led 3000 troopers on a daring cavalry raid from near Grenada. On December 20 they rode into Holly Srings at daybreak, burned and destroyed Grant?s huge advance supply depot. It was a signal, though temporary, victory for the South - a combination of Southern audacity coupled with Federal inattention to basic security. Simultaneously, Brig. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest had crossed the Tennessee River with his brigade. Sweeping into West Tennessee, he wreaked havoc on the Mobile & Ohio, Grant?s principal supply artery between Jackson Tennessee and the Kentucky line. Grant was furious and heads rolled, but it forced a return to the river ^ campaign against Vicksburg. Central Mississippi was for the time being secure against land attacks from the north.
Before Van Dorn?s and Forrest?s raids, the 20th Mississippi moved south to Grenada, and during the second week in December, set up winter quarters about six miles east of town (it was called Camp Powell on the company muster). By now Pvt.
Baxter and the rest of the regiment had learned the basic rules of survival. Once at Camp Powell they set to building log huts against the winter; most of them had mud-and-stick fireplaces and chimneys that gave heat to the soldiers and to their cooking pots as well. Rations were not up to previous standards, but even these sparce provisions could be made more appetizing by the different pace that winter quarters provided.
The days before and after Christmas probably were cheerful ones for Baxter. His home in Mississippi City was not too far from Grenada, and the express companies in December
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