On August 30, 1862 a detachment (11 th Illinois Cavalry and 9 th Indiana Battery) from the First Brigade commanded by Col. Mortimer D. Leggett (78 th Ohio Infantry) joined the 2 nd Illinois Cavalry and the 20th Ohio Infantry in an engagement with Confederate forces on the Middleburg and Van Buren Roads about 5 ½ miles from Bolivar and between Medon and Toone’s Station on the Mississippi Central Railroad. Following a heavy skirmish that lasted 7 ½ hours, Confederate forces withdrew beyond the Tallahatchie River. Union losses were 5 killed, 18 wounded and 64 missing. Confederate losses were estimated to exceed 200.
Strawberry Plains
On January 21, 1864 Union scouts with Brig. Gen. James Spears reported that Confederate forces advancing from Blain’s Crossroads had