E. K. Kirby Smith to Nathaniel P. Banks, July 9, 1863

GENERAL:

I have: just returned from Monroe, and find your letters of the 27th ultimo. I congratulate you most cordially upon your brilliant successes at Berwick Bay, and trust that you will snececd in removing all the most valuable stores, and especially the ordnance. to some secure point, as Natchitoches or Niblett’s Bluff. ;

The line you propose from Vermillionville to Niblett’s Bluff is a good one for operations, but I hope, even in the event of disaster at Vicksburg, that you have no intention of withdrawing your force into Texas. This would be to abandon at once the Red River bottom, which is too rich a source of supply to be thus yielded, and cut our line of retreat from Arkansas. I think Natchitoches or Shreveport should be our points of concentration, and I have ordered supplies placed in depots, that troops may be readily removed when necessary from Arkansas in that direction. I shall order Walker’s division to you whenever operations about Vicksburg will permit.

You had given me no notice of your intention of being at Alexandria, or I would have met you there. It is not mentioned in any of your letters. At the time of the receipt of General Elgee’s letter, referred to, the report of your operations in Berwick Bay arrived. You were then moving to effect a junction with Colonel Major for further operations in the La Fourche country.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,