J. H. Hammond to Henry W. Halleck, August 25, 1862

GENERAL GRANT’S HEADQUARTERS,

Corinth, Miss., August 25, 1862.

GENERAL: Colonel Mason, with portion of the Seventy-first Ohio surrendered Clarksville to the guerrillas. Prisoners were paroled and sent down the river. I ordered them to Benton Barracks, and have put Donelson and Henry under command of Colone) Lowe, and have ordered six companies of infantry up to re-enforce him.

U. S. GRANT, Major-General.

ROSECRANS’ HEADQUARTERS, August 25, [1862 —8 p. m., Via Corinth, Miss., August 26, 1862—11 a. m. Major-General HALLECK:

Have sent Callender my spare arms, at his request, and promise to replace them with first-class arms in time for the recruits. Now he reports Saint Louis Arsenal bare. We are without either old or new. Recruits are coming in. Wecannotarmthem. One regiment requires 100 muskets. I beseech you order me 5,000 first-class muskets and some carbines, or revolving arms.

Brigadier-General, U. 8. Army.

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 25, 1862. Major-General GRANT, Oairo, Ill. : General J. A. McOlernand will repair to Springfield, I1l., and assist the Governor in organizing volunteers. H. W. HALLEOCK, General-in- Chief.

HEADQUARTERS FirtH DIvIision, Memphis, Tenn., August 26, 1862. Major-General GRANT, Corinth, Miss. :

Sir: In pursuance of your request that I should keep you advised of matters of interest here in addition to the purely official matter I now write. I dispatched promptly the thirteen companies of cavalry—nine of Fourth Illinois and four of Eleventh [linois—to their respective destinations punctually on the 23d instant, although the order only was received on the 22d. I received at the same time from Colonel Dickey the notice that the bridge over Hatchie was burned, and therefore I prescribed their order of march via Bolivar. They started at 12 m. of the 23d, and I have no news of them since. None of the cavalry ordered to me is yet heard from.

The guerrillas have destroyed several bridges over Wolf Creek, one at Raleigh, on the road by which I had prescribed trade and travel to and from the city. I haveastrong guard at the lower bridge over Wolf River, by which we can reach the country to the north of that stream, but as the Confederates have burned their own bridges I will hold them to my order and allow no trade over any other road than the one prescribed, using the lower or Randolph road for our own convenience.

I am still satisfied there is no large force anywhere in the neighborhood. All the navy gunboats are below except the Saint Louis, which lies off the city. When Commodore Davis passes down from Gairo [ will try to see him and get him to exchange the Saint Louis for a fleeter boat, not iron-clad, one that can move up and down the river, breaking up ferry-boats and canoes, and preventing all passing across the river. Of course in spite of all efforts smuggling is carried on. We occasionally make hauls of clothing, gold lace, buttons, &c., but I am satisfied that salt and arms are got to the interior somehow. I have addressed the board of trade a letter on this point that will enable us to control this better.

You may have been troubled at hearing reports of drunkenness here. There was some after pay-day, but generally all is as quiet and orderly here as possible. I traverse the city every day and night, and assert that Memphis is and has been as orderly a city as Saint Louis, Cincinnati, or New York. Before the city authorities undertook to license saloons there was as much whisky here as now, and it would take all my command as custom-house inspectors to break open all the parcels and packages containing liquor. I can destroy all groggeries and shops where soldiers get liquor just as we would near Saint Louis. Also the newspapers are accusing me of cruelty to the sick—as base a charge as was ever made. I would not let the sanitary committee carry off a boat load of sick because I have no right to. We have good hospitals here, and plenty of them. Our regimental hospitals are in the camps of the men, and the sick do much better there than in the general hospitals; so say my division surgeon and the regimental surgeons. The doctors would, if permitted, take our entire command. General Curtis sends his sick up here, but usually no nurses, and it is not right that nurses should be taken from my command for his sick. I think that when we are endeavoring to raise soldiers and to instruct them it is bad policy to keep them at hospitals as attendants and nurses. I send you Dr. [Nelson R.] Derby’s acknowledgment that he gave the leave of absence of which he was charged. I have placed him in arrest, in obedience to General Halleck’s orders, but Dr. Derby is still in charge of the Overton Hospital, which is not full of patients. The State Hospital also is not full, and I cannot imagine what Dr. Derby wants with the Female Academy, out on Vance street. I will see him again, and now that he is chief at Overton Hospital I think he will not want the academy ; still, if he does, under your orders, I will cause it to be vacated by the children and Sistersof Mercy. They have just made publication for more scholars, and will be sadly disappointed. If, however, this building or any other be needed for a hospital it must be taken; but really in my heart I do not see what possible chance there is under present circumstances of filling with patients the two large hospitals now in use, besides the one asked for. I may, however, be mistaken in the particular building asked for by Dr. Derby, but will go myself and see.

The fort is progressing well, Captain Jenney having arrived. Sixteen heavy guns have arrived, with a large amount of shot and shell, but the platforms are not yet ready ; still, if occasion should arise for dispatch, I could put a large force to work; but Captain Prime when here advised

that the work proceed regularly under the proper engineer officer and laborers.

Lan, &c. ete W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding.

CORINTH, August 26, 1862. General H. W. HALLEOK, Washington, D. 0.: _ Your dispatch about cotton has been so mutilated in transmission that it is not understood. All cotton seized by Government is sold by quartermaster for the benefit of whom it may concern; names of claimants and amount received kept, so that claims can hereafter be settled by proper tribunals.

U. S. GRANT, Major-General.

WASHINGTON, August 27 1862. Maj. Gen. U. S. GRANT:

My dispatch of the 25th is repeated. The object is to prevent officers and men in the Government service from trading in cotton on their private accounts: “The Secretary of War directs that you seize, in the name of the United States, all cotton purchased or shipped by officers or men in the military service of the United States, and turn the same over to the Quartermaster’s Department, to be sold on account of whomsoever it may concern.”

H. W. HALLECK, General-in- Chief.

SPECIAL ORDERS, Hopaqrs. FirtaH Dry., ARMY OF THE TENN., No. 210. } Memphis, August 27, 1862.

General S. A. Hurlbut will prepare Veatch’s brigade with light transportation and two days’ rations for a scout; the commanders will report to General Sherman at 7 o’clock this evening for instructions. One hundred of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry will also prepare with two days’

‘rations for a scout; the commanding officer will report in person at these headquarters this evening for instructions.

II. Colonel Grierson, Sixth Llinois Cavalry, will prepare 100 men with two days’ rations for a rapid scout; the commanding officer will report in person this evening at 7 p. m. for instructions.

By order of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman:

Assistant Adjutant- General.