Units of CSA Brig. Gen. Wirt Adams' Cavalry encountered Benjamin Grierson's Yankee raiders at Franklin (Holmes County) as Grierson's unit was moving to Vicksburg after having destroyed the Mobile & Ohio Railroad facilities at Franklin (Holmes County) on January 2, 1865. The day prior, January 1, 1865, at 7:00 pm in the evening, elements of Grierson's Yankee cavalry command burned the West Station railroad depot located in what is now the community of West, adjacent to the Big Black River.. My question concerns the events leading up to, including, and following Grierson's destruction of the West Station depot. I am attempting to locate contemporaneous newspaper, diary, letter or other battle (really a skirmish) accounts of this event, specifically what elements of Grierson's command torched the West Station depot, the extent to which local militia or civilians opposed the Yankee raiders, dead or wounded on both sides, named individuals who were involved, the extent of the damage inflicted upon the RR's rolling stock, the depot, rails and ties and other civilian facilities and businesses. The "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies" support the January1, 1865 destruction of the West Station depot as described. However, there is at least one published account claiming that elements of Grierson's Yankee cavalry command destroyed this same depot during Grierson's earlier 1863 raid through central Mississippi. If this is true, it would have had to have been a small detachment of Grierson's overall command since his primary route of advance in early 1863 did not include the area around Vaiden, West Station or Durant. I am having a hard time believing that the West Station Depot was burned once in 1863, rebuilt during wartime, only to be torched a second time two years later in 1865. Might any of you who are familiar with the War's impact in and around Holmes County help clarify what actually happened in West Station and when it happened? Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing from you and would very much appreciate learning of any other surviving accounts of this incident. Regards, Dennis K. Boswell 301 Crow Canyon Drive, Folsom, CA 95630 Telephone: (916) 987-3599 Fax: (916) 987-3555 Email: dennisb@mindspring.com