They were in their own country, where no rear guards were necessary.

The country is admirable for defence, but difficult for the conduct of an offensive campaign.

All their troops had to be met.

We were fortunate, to say the least, in meeting them in detail: at Port Gibson seven or eight thousand; at Raymond, five thousand; at Jackson, from eight to eleven thousand; at Champion's Hill, twenty-five thousand; at the Big Black, four thousand.

A part of those met at Jackson were all that was left of those encountered at Raymond.