John A. Rawlins to John A. Rawlins, July 25, 1862

Col. JOHN A. RAWLINS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Corinth, Miss. :

Sir: On Tuesday evening of last week, at Moscow, Tenn., I received General Grant’s telegraphic dispatch to order the troops belonging to General McClernand’s division to Bolivar and to march mine and General Hurlbut’s divisions to Memphis, there to assume command, and to send all the infantry of General Lew. Wallace’s division to Helena, Ark., there to report to General Curtis.

I immediately telegraphed to General Hurlbut at La Grange the substance of the order, and made my manuscript orders, No. 52, a copy of which will be sent by this mail along with the series, which orders were duly received by General Hurlbut, and a copy to Colonel Leggett, commanding at Grand Junction.

My orders contemplated that all the stores and sick at Grand Junction should proceed by rail to Bolivar ani the troops march the distance (21 miles) by land. Colonel Leggett did not move on Wednesday, and when informed of the fact I directed General Hurlbut to see Colonel Leggett to ascertain the reason of his delay. General Hurlbut telegraphed me that Colonel Leggett was waiting to receive his orders from General McOlernand. I then notified him we should wait twenty-four hours longer to cover his departure, when we should move.

I telegraphed this fact to General Grant, who approved it, and accordingly General Hurlbut moved his division from La Grange to Moscow on Thursday afternoon.

On Friday I marched my division 15 miles, to Colliersville, Hurlbut halting for water at La Fayette. On Saturday my division moved 15 miles, to White’s Station, 9 miles from Memphis, Hurlbut halting at Germantown.

Not knowing the character of country about Memphis as to water, for which our men and animals suffered much, I rode into the city on Sunday morning before daylight, saw General Hovey early in the morning, and notified him to be ready to move to Helena with all his infantry immediately. All Sunday I rode about the city of Memphis examining the site and condition of Fort Pickering, and could find no water except in the Mississippi. Accordingly I sent orders out to White’s Station for the troops to march in, and accordingly the whole command marched into Memphis, my division taking post at Fort Pickering and Hurlbut’s just below the fort, drawing water out of the river.

On the 21st Lissued my Orders, No. 56, assuming command, and same day Orders, No. 57, ordering General Hovey and command to proceed to Helena. General Hovey showed mea dispatch from General Grant, all the infantry regiments of your [his] command. My orders were all the infantry of Wallace’s division. There was a regiment here (Slack’s) not of Wallace’s division, but of Hovey’scommand. Thinking General Curtis might want as large a force as possible, and there being only five regiments of Wallace’s here, I ordered Colonel Slack’s regiment also.

I think the good of the service would be advanced by keeping the old divisions entire; Wallace’s seems to be broken up in a measure, and some of McClernand’s seem to be adrift.

I hesitated long in sending Slack’s regiment, and insisted on General Hovey furnishing the original of General Grant’s dispatch, of which I kept a copy. All were slow in moving, but got off yesterday morning and are now doubtless at Helena. I have Wallace’s artillery and cavalry.

As Tio as General Hovey drew in his pickets 1 sent a brigade (Morgan L. Smith’s) out on the State Line road 3 miles, with orders to es tablish a main guard 1 mile farther out, and pickets and vedettes extending another mile, and cavalry to scout and patrol out to White’s Station, 9 miles out.

I quartered two brigades inside of Fort Pickering, with orders to push the work on which they are now engaged. About 750 negroes and all soldiers who are under punishment or are arrested by the provost guard will be made to work on the fortifications.

General Hurlbut’s division is encamped south of Fort Pickering, right on the Mississippi, left on the Hernando road, with orders to picket the Pigeon Roost, Hernando, and Horn Lakeroads. In this manner I cover all approaches and at the same time push the construction of the fort. Captain Prime, sent here by General Halleck, returned yesterday to Corinth and will have reported to you his opinions as to the mode of making Memphis a secure depot of troops and supplies; he does not contemplate a line of redoubts, but a strong fort on the site of old Fort Pickering, on the southern edge of the city, with a battery looking back upon the city.

On my arrival I was somewhat embarrassed by an order (No. 1) of Geveral Hovey, in regard to persons between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. I doubted the propriety of allowing such to go South, untrammeled by even a parole, whereas they are by the law of the Confederacy conscript soldiers and have doubtless gone tothe army. Such should have been made to take a parole and then go South or North.

Allin Memphis who are hostile to us should be compelled to leave, for so long as they remain correspondence will go on; and in case of military movements they will manage to convey the information to their friends. But if all who are not our friends are expelled from Memphis but few will beleft. 1 willdo nothing hastily; only if any persons mauifest any active hostility I will deal with them summarily.

Your orders that when the head of a family is in the South the family too must go I will enforce. And I have said that when any man feels and entertains hostility to us and favor to our enemies it is a breach of honor to remain, and shall, if necessary, be so regarded.

I have issued an order limiting travel to daylight and to the five principal roads, on each of which I will post a small permanent guard, with nothing to do but watch the travel. By giving special instruction to these guards I am satisfied we can protect ourselves against spies and illicit trade more perfectly than by the usual system of provostmarshal passes.

I have, pursuant to your order, ordered the quartermaster to employ a suitable agent to take possession of all vacant buildings, register them and rent them for account of whom it may concern, keeping a true ac: count current with each piece of property and accounting for rents to the quartermaster. I have also had all the negroes registered and will cause a time-(able to be kept of their work, so that this matter may also admit of final settlement. There are squads of guerrillas in the country, but T ‘annot hear of any real force. A negro reports the arrival at

Germantown of about 100 infantry and some cavalry. As soon as I get things in good shape I will begin to look into, these matters.

What about Fort Pillow, its guns, &c.? Do you expect me to remove these and dismantle the fort ?

My adjutant says our tri-monthly reports have been made regularly and sent by mail.

General Hurlbut will be notified as required by your dispatch.

Iam, &e., W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.

GENERAL ie HpQrs. DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, No. 64. Corinth, Miss., July 25, 1862.

The attention of the major-general commanding having been called to the fact of persons in this district sympathizing with the rebellion, who have cotton for sale, refusing to receive the United States Treasury notes in payment therefor, or anything other than gold and silver which is paid them by speculators whose love of gain is greater than their love of country, and the gold and silver thus paid indirectly affording aid and comfort to the enemy, renders necessary the publication of the following orders:

1st. From and after the 1st of August, 1862, gold and silver will not be paid within this district by speculators for the products of the rebel States. United States Treasury notes are a legal tender in all cases, and when refused the parties refusing them will be arrested, and such of their crops as are not actually required for the subsistence of their families, stock, &c., may be seized and sold by the nearest quartermaster for the benefit of whom it may concern.

2d. Money so received will be accounted for by the officer receiving it on his next account current, and used for the benefit of Government, only to be paid to the owners of the crops sold on orders from authority above that of district commanders.

3d. Any speculator paying out gold and silver in violation of this order will be arrested and sent North, and the property so purchased seized and turned over to the proper department for the benefit of the Government. ;

4th. A strict enforcement of this order is enjoined upon all officers in this district.

By command of Maj. Gen. U. 8S. Grant: