New Jersey 2nd Volunteer Cavalry (Union)

Okolona

Meridian, Mississippi, near the Alabama border 130 miles east of Vicksburg, was an important Confederate railroad center and military facility. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman set out for the town from Vicksburg in early February, 1864, with 20,000 men. Hoping to augment his force with cavalry, Sherman ordered the 7,000 troopers of Brig. Gen. William Sooy Smith to move from south from Memphis February 1st and meet him at Meridian. Smith inexplicably delayed his march for ten days. When he eventually left, he…READ MORE

Westport

The Battle of Westport, fought October 21-23, was the largest battle west of the Mississippi River and the decisive battle of Confederate Gen. Stirling Price's 1864 Missouri campaign. Directions guide the visitor to the first of twenty-five narrative markers on a 32-mile, self-guided automobile tour and a self-guided walking tour of Byram's Ford and the Big Blue Battlefield. Each marker provides directions to the next stop on the tour. A written brochure is available from the Battle of Westport Visitor Cen…READ MORE