Editing Battle of Brice's Cross Roads (section)

==Prelude==
Sherman began his [[Atlanta Campaign]] during the first week of May, moving slowly south while battling Confederate forces under General [[Joseph E. Johnston]], an excellent defensive fighter. Johnston called in reinforcements, including Lieutenant-General [[Leonidas Polk]] and two divisions of his [[Army of Mississippi#Army of Mississippi (1863–64)|Army of Mississippi]], which in turn left Major-General [[Stephen D. Lee]] in command of all remaining Confederate forces within Polk's Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. Lee took charge of the department, but wisely gave Forrest authority to act independently in the northern part of Mississippi and Tennessee.<ref name=wynne/><ref name=hooker/>

During the four-month Atlanta Campaign, the U.S. Army advanced steadily, but in the process extended their supply lines that stretched back to [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. As the campaign progressed, Sherman grew concerned the brazen Forrest might move his Confederate cavalry force out of [[North Mississippi]] into [[Middle Tennessee]], strike the supply lines, and perhaps jeopardize the entire Federal effort. As a result, Sherman in late May ordered Sturgis out of Memphis and into North Mississippi with a force of just over 8,000 men. Sturgis's mission was to keep Forrest occupied and, if possible, destroy the Confederate cavalry force that Forrest commanded. Sherman's orders to Sturgis came just in time, as Forrest's cavalry had just left for Middle Tennessee and was forced to turn back to Mississippi to once again defend the northern part of the state. The Federal expedition marched out of Memphis on June 1. Sturgis had a great deal of discretion in his movements, but was generally expected to "proceed to [[Corinth, Mississippi|Corinth]], Mississippi, by way of Salem and Ruckersville, capture any force that may be there, then proceed south, destroying the [[Mobile and Ohio Railroad]] to [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]] and [[Okolona, Mississippi|Okolona]], and as far as possible toward [[Macon, Mississippi|Macon]] and [[Columbus, Mississippi|Columbus]]."<ref name=wynne/>