Jas. B. McPherson to Washington, D. C., August 25, 1862, August 19, 1862

GENERAL ROSECRANS’ HEADQUARTERS,

August 19, 1862.

August 19, 1862. General GRANT:

Mobile Advertiser of 15th here. Breckinridge was whipped at Vicksburg;* General Clark and two colonels killed. They lost 250 men, and say our troops acknowledge loss of 1,000. They mention seventeen regiments cavalry being in the fight; say these numbered 3,500 men when they started, but 500 dropped sick by rain and heat on the way. B. H. Helm was knocked over, contused by their running cavalry; Captain Todd, Mrs. Lincoln’s brother, was killed.

Granger’s spies say movements eastward. Two sutlers’ clerks and a soldier of the Fifty-ninth Illinois taken prisoners last Sunday week returned to-day liberated. They learned or were told that the rebels intended to have Corinth at all vost; that they were getting out timber to repair bridges on the railroad and that conscripts were constantly coming in; they had already 25,000 men. General Haynie has a drover from the South who says that Van Dorn’s command, except that with Breckinridge, is at Jackson, and that Bragg is at Chattanooga with’ 40,000 men; he says he will march to Nashville or fight for it. Granger has sent out a cavalry regiment to attack Marietta at daylight to-morrow morning. W. S. ROSECRANS, Brigadier-General.

* At Baton Rouge.

BoLivAR, August 19, 1862. General MCCLERNAND:

Scouts which returned from below last night report Villepigue’s forces still 12 miles below Holly Springs. I am quite unwell, and would like to be relieved from the command for three or four days and permitted to visit friends in Northern Alabama.

CoRINTH, Miss., August 20, 1862—3.45 p. m.

The guerrillas are becoming so active in West Tennessee that a large mounted force is required to suppress them. Cannot a portion of General Curtis’ cavalry be sent me?

Wak DEPARTMENT, Washington, August 21, 1862. Major-General GRANT, Corinth, Miss.:

General Curtis’ cavalry is fully employed in Arkansas. Governor Johnson, of Tennessee, was requested some weeks ago to raise some cavalry regiments to act against guerrilla bands. I will send you more cavalry as soon as we can get it. You have charge of everything in your district, but no one has yet been designated to command the old department. It will probably be divided.

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

CoRINTH, MIss., August 21, 1862—2 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

Two steamers are said to have been captured by guerrillas on the Tennessee on the 18th. Steamer Terry has gone down armed with four guns and a company of sharpshooters. General Tuttle informed me that three new regiments were to leave Springfield for Cairo yesterday and to-day. I have directed one of them and the Eleventh Illinois to occupy Paducah and Smithland; one to be sent to Columbus, and the other to remain at Cairo. There is such a demand for cavalry that I will have to mount infantry, making secessionists furnish horses and forage. Should there not be two or three light-draught steamers bought and fitted up, proof against Minie balls, and armed with two guns each, to carry Government freight on the Tennessee from here?

U. S. GRANT, Major-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 22, 1862. Major-General GRANT, Corinth, Miss. :

_ You will take all possible measures to put down the guerrilla operations on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Act wherever you

CoRINTH, MIss., August 22, 1862. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLEck, General-in-Chief :

I gave orders yesterday for Colonel Lowe to take command of Donelson in addition to Henry and Heiman; that I would re-enforce him, and he must retake Clarksville. Colonel Webster goes to-morrow with my instructions.

TRENTON, August 22, 1862. Major-General MCOLERNAND:

Messenger in from Dyersburg reports Jackson’s forces within 10 miles of there, on south bank of Forked Deer River. I have sent re-enforcements to Dyersburg; they will attack and follow up. The train of Sixth Illinois leaves here in the morning. Good commanding officers will be given the instructions you suggest. Jackson’s whole regiment is north of Hatchie, and all Union men are running from him. The train and two companies of Second Illinois will go direct to Jackson from here; the rest will go direct from Dyersburg or wherever they leave the Sixth, unless you desire them to cross the Hatchie with the Sixth. They are instrueted to attack Jackson and drive him south before the

two regiments separate. G. M. DODGE, Brigadier-General.

Fort DONELSON, [August] 22, [1862]. Major-General GRANT:

You are doubtless aware of the fact of the surrender of Clarksville to the forces of Colonel Woodward on Monday last at 2 p.m. No gun fired on either side. The officers and men paroled, and are now at Paducah or on their way home. It leaves me here at this post with the four remaining companies of the Seventy-first, numbering less than 200 men, with limited rations, no artillery or cavalry, threatened by Woodward and others.

Will you allow me to suggest the importance of re-enforcements as early as possible? Whether re-enforced or not I will hold the place until forced to yield. Oan I have the re-enforcements ?

JAS. H. HART, Major Seventy-first Ohio.

BOLIVAR, August 22, 1862. Major-General MOOLEBNAND: Shall I send force to Somerville with cavalry to gather up and bring in horses, mules, negroes, and forage? Everything of use to an army

in that section is being run off South, and unless we act promptly will be used against us by the rebels. I wrote you of the matter this morning, but telegraph because it will not admit of delay if anything is to

Sea L. F. ROSS, Brigadier-General.

TRENTON, August 23, [1862]. Major-General GRANT: Have 900 shot-guns, 500 rifles, taken from guerrillas and citizens. G. M. DODGE, Brigadier-General.

COLUMBUS, August 23, 1862. General GRANT:

Twenty-two guerrillas were captured on Monday night and Tuesday morning 25 miles below here on the Missouri shore. It is the party that fired into the Champion Sunday night. They were not duly enlisted in the rebel service, but were on their way to Arkansas, armed and mounted. I propose, with your sanction, to try them by a military commission. They are now here. I have a list of prominent men in river counties in Missouri, some of which are not within my district, who are engaged in forwarding recruits to rebel army; proofs undoubted. Shall I arrest all such, even though without my immediate command ?

I. F. QUINBY, Brigadier- General.

SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE, Oorinth Miss., August 24, 1862. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLEOK, General-in-Chief, Washington, D. O.:

GENERAL: I can now state to you that the condition of the railroads between Columbus and this point is quite satisfactory and improving daily. I have received five new engines and a number of freight cars and have repaired several engines and cars so that I can send two trains daily between Columbus and Corinth and an extra train from Columbus to Jackson three times a week. I apprehend no difficulty in supplying a much larger force over the road than I have to supply at present.

Nearly all the public property at Columbus has been brought down and distributed at different points along the line, and the master of transportation, Captain Lyman, assures me that the whole of it will be shipped by the 26th instant.

If I can once get Columbus clear I shall have no difficulty in keeping it so. There have been a good many improvements made at Columbus which were absolutely necessary for the transaction of a large amount of business. Side tracks have been put down in the main street leading to the ordnance and commissary storehouses and two extensive side tracks to the new quartermaster’s storehouses on the south side of the main depot, the repair shop fitted up, water-tanks arranged, and everyting neressary to facilitate the business.

I am very much pleased with Mr. W. J. Stevens. He is industrious, honest, and shows himself qualified for the position I gave him. GenSrl eeby and all the officers at Columbus speak in the highest terms of him.

Although I have not been able to bring down any private freight from Columbus the passenger and back freight up to the first of this month was over $33,000, and will, I think, reach $40,000 this month; all this of course is entirely independent of Government freight and transportation of troops. On the Memphis and Charleston road I have not been so fortunate. There has been almost constant interruption east of Tuscumbia; bridges and water-tanks burned, trains fired into, track torn up, and two engines run off and badly damaged, which, however, I have in running order again. I have had to rebuild seven bridges this month between Tuscumbia and Decatur.

Last Sunday the train was fired into near Courtland, about 150 shots striking the engine and cars, wounding the conductor mortally, the fireman and one of the brakemen slightly. The engine and train, however, were brought in all right.

Yesterday the train was attacked near Trinity, captured and burned. One of the rails was taken up and the engine run off the track as it was returning from Decatur. There was very little of value in the train and not over seven cars. There was a guard of 25 men, who fought desperately and killed, as I understand, 25 or 30 of the rebels, held them at bay for some time, sent for re-enforcements, and finally drove them off. The firemen and 3 or 4 of our soldiers were taken prisoners. [ have sent out a force and got the engine on the track, and it is being brought in to-day. It is badly burned and will require a new set of flues before it can be used. The water was all let out of the boiler and a large fire built in the furnace so that the boiler was made red-hot. Some one had hold of it who evidently knew the most effectual method of using up a locomotive in a short time.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. B. McPHERSON

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 25, 1862.

Major-General GRANT, Corinth :

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 Quarter.

master’s Department, to be sold on account of whomsoever it may concern.