G. M. Dodge to Ulysses S. Grant, September 7, 1862
HEADQUARTERS, &C.,
Corinth, September 7, 1862.
Col. J. C. KELTON, Assistant Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.:
For the information of the general-in-chief I have the honor to report the following changes being made in the disposition of the forces in this district:
The two remaining divisions of the Army of the Mississippi, under command of Major-General Rosecrans, are being collected at this place and form the garrison of Corinth. Rienzi, Jacinto, and Danville will be held for the present. Besides these two divisions there will be here General Daviesâ division, two brigades of McArthurâs, and the cavalry and artillery, with the exception of one battery, of the entire division. The whole will be under the command of General Rosecrans.
The Jackson command, which guards the road from Bethel to Humboldt and from Jackson to Bolivar, will be under Major-General Ord, the forces remaining as now; that is, the former command of General McClernand has been increased by one brigade from General McArthurâs division, and one battery. Two brigades from Memphis will occupy Brownsville, probably commanded by Brig. Gen. M. L. Smith. This arrangement gives me Major-General Sherman, commanding on the right ; Major-General Ord in the center, and General Rosecrans on the left. With the force at Brownsville the line of the Hatchie will be guarded, and that force will be in readiness to re-enforce Bolivar in case of an attack there, or to occupy that place and leave the present garrison loose to re-enforce Corinth should it become necessary. When this arrangement is entirely completed I will probably move headquarters to Jackson. From that place, with a garrison at Brownsville, I will always be able to communicate with Memphis, by means of courier, in seven or eight hours in case of necessity.
U. 8. GRANT, Major-General.
Hpqrs. CENTRAL DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Trenton, Tenn., September 7, 1862. Capt. M. ROCHESTER,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Columbus, Ky. :
CAPTAIN: The larger part of the rebel force that has been between the Forked Deer Rivers has fallen back to the Hatchie, leaving bands of marauders in Haywood County to do what mischief they can. Their camps extend from Brownsville Landing to Estanaula, and they are reported by our spies and Union men as being from 3,000 to 5,000 strong. They are recruiting a large number of men south of the Hatchie and in the counties bordering it on the north.
Where Colonel McCullough is I know not, but judge by their falling
back that he must be scouting in Haywood County. If we could have a force at Brownsville to occasionally dash across the Hatchie we could make it too hot even there for them; all their prisoners and our scouts say that they desire to get north of me. The punishment that Ihave given them in Dyer, Lauderdale, and Haywood Counties makes them bitter. They take all the property of any Union man or any one who even leans that way, negroes and all, and those men who bought the confiscated property at the sales here they punished terribly. A fight occurred in the streets of Denmark Thursday; what it amounted to I know not. The secesh report that their side lost 30 and that the cavalry cut them up terribly and dispersed them in the fourth charge. I trust it is so. I am,
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Brigadier-General.
Iuka, September 7, 1862.
General GRANT:
Report from Hamilton says that information leads him to believe that
reports are erroneous, and that no immediate attack is intended, but
that Price and Van Dorn have united. Cavalry are out on that route
to gather further news.