On Thursday, May 7th, General McPherson moved his corps to Rocky Spring, and his camp was occupied next day by General Sherman. On Saturday McPherson again moved to the eastward, to the village of Utica, crossing the road occupied by McClernand, and leaving the latter on his left. On Sunday morning McClernand marched to Five Mile creek, and encamped on the south bank at noon, on account of broken bridges, which were repaired the same day. Monday morning Sherman’s corps came up, passed McClernand’s, and encamped that night at the village of Auburn, about ten miles south of Edwards’ Station, on the railroad from Vicksburg to Jackson. As soon as it passed, McClernand’s corps followed a few miles, and then took a road going obliquely to the left, leading to Hall’s Ferry, on the Big Black river. Thus, on Monday evening General McClernand was at Hall’s Ferry; General Sherman was at Auburn, six or eight miles to the northeast, and General McPherson was about eight miles still further to the northeast, a few miles north of Utica. The whole formed an immense line of battle, Sherman’s corps being in the centre, with those of McPherson and McClernand forming the right and left wings. From Grand Gulf the army marched westward, but, by these last movements, swung on the left as a pivot, and fronted nearly northward.

Up to this the enemy had not appeared on the line of march. On Tuesday morning General McClernand’s advance drove in the enemy’s pickets near Hall’s Ferry, and brisk skirmishing ensued for an hour or two, with little loss to either side. By noon the rebels had disappeared from his front, and seven wounded and none killed was the total Union loss. General Sherman put Steele’s division in motion early in the morning, and came upon the enemy at the crossing of Fourteen Mile creek four miles from Auburn. The cavalry advance was fired into from the thick woods that skirt the stream, but was unable, owing to the nature of the ground, to make a charge or clear the rebels from their position. Landgraber’s battery was thrown to the front, supported by the Seventeenth Missouri and Thirty-first Iowa infantry regiments, and threw a few shell into the bushy undergrowth skirting the stream which gave them cover. Skirmishers were thrown out, and advanced to the creek, driving the enemy slowly. A brigade was thrown to the right and left flanks, when the rebel forces, mainly cavalry, withdrew toward Raymond. The bridge was burned during the skirmish, but a crossing was constructed in two hours, and trains were passing before noon.

But the principal opposition to the line of march was in the front of General McPherson. General Logan’s division came upon a body of rebel troops, estimated at about ten thousand, posted on Fondren’s creek, two miles southwest of this, at ten o’clock on Tuesday morning. Brisk skirmishing began at once, and a general engagement was soon brought on. The enemy (as in front of General Sherman), was almost wholly concealed at first by the woods bordering the stream, behind which their forces were posted. Their artillery was on an eminence that commanded our approach. The Federal troops had to cross an open field, exposed to a terrible fire. The First and Second brigades, commanded by General J. E. Smith, and General Fennis (both Illinois regiments), were in the thickest of the fight, and suffered most. After three hours’ hard fighting, the enemy withdrew sullenly in two columns, the principal one taking the road to Jackson. The Federal loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, was about three hundred. The rebel loss was much greater.