Major-General to Stephen A. Hurlbut, June 28, 1862

General HURLBUT, La Grange, Tenn. : Sir: I have long been impressed with the belief that we could not depend on this railroad till we clear out all traces of an enemy from the northern tier of counties in Mississippi. Send down 40 wagons and we will share with you the provisions on hand; then make up a train of 60 wagons and send to Memphis by way of Somerville and the Stage road for another supply; that road is more safe than the State Line road. Even with that train send a regiment as escort, to ride in the empty wagons, but to march back as a guard to the loaded wagons. I think Grant will try and protect that road. As soon as we hear from Rosecrans we must move on Holly Springs, cost what it may. You must feed McOlernand’s men. Get corn-meal, beef, &c. Yours, &e. smi W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General. CORINTH, June 29, VIA CAIRO, July 1. (Received Washington 8.40 p. m., July 1, 1862.) Hon. B. M. STANTON, Secretary of War: Official reports received that the expedition from Cassville, under Colonel King and Majors Hubbard and Miller, have captured 2 rebel colonels, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 4 captains, 7 lieutenants, 120 enlisted men, 12 trains, and a large quantity of arms, stores, &c. Railroads to Memphis, Columbus, and Decatur have been opened. Rebel guerrillas cut the repaired road in two places, through carelessness in guarding it, but damage very slight. Some skirmishing at outpost, but loss inconsiderable. Enemy has been making demonstrations against us for several days, but I think intends no serious attack. The advance of Gen. eral Buell’s army will reach Huntsville to-day. It is believed that the enemy is already evacuating East Tennessee. H. W. TIALLECK, Major-General. MEMPHIS, TENN., June 29, 1862. (By telegraph from Corinth.) The part of Wallace’s division at Bolivar was ordered to Grand Junetion. There is no danger of an attack in force on Memphis. It is a mere stampede. The great object now is to protect the railroad against marauders. There was culpable neglect in sending out the train from Memphis till the road was properly guarded. You will report by whose neglect the accident and the capture of telegraph repairers occurred. H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General… MEMPHIS, TENN., June 29, 1862. A man through from Okolona reports that there are but 3,000 troops at that place. Columbus is being strongly fortified. Thirty thousand men said to be at Abbeville, intending to march on La Grange as soon as the Tallahatchie Bridge is repaired. This I telegraphed via Columbus, Ky., while the direct line was down. U. 8. GRANT, Major-General. CORINTH, June 29, 1862. You say 30,000 men are at Shelbyville to attack La Grange. Where is Shelbyville? I can’t finditonany map. Don’t believe a word about an attack in large force on La Grange or Memphis. Why not send out strong reconnaissance and ascertain the facts? It looks very much like amere stampede. Floating rumors must never be received as facts. Order an investigation of the loss of the train and capture of our men by a force of the enemy and report the facts. I mean to make somebody responsible for so gross a negligence. i H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General. MEMPHIS, TENN., June 29, 1862. _ I did not say 30,000 troops at Shelbyville, but at Abbeville, which is south of Holly Springs, on the road to Grenada. I made a report of all I knew of the capture of the train, and sent by way of Columbus, Cray, XXIX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION. Ky. I have kept all my cavalry force on the road from here to Germantown most of the time since my arrival in Memphis. The balance of the cavalry force here are ordered to make daily reconnaissances to the southeast of the line from lere. I heed as little of the floating rumors about the city as any one. I only gave you the statement of a man from Okolona, who has fled from there with no intention of returning until he can go under the Federal flag. I do not credit his report as to exact numbers, but believe the Tallahatchie Bridge is being repaired, and that a considerable force is at Abbeville. 1 know, not from rumor, that M. Jeff. Thompson and Jackson are both to the southeast of us. 1 have asked for the Eleventh Illinvis Cavalry, now at Corinth, that I might do effectually what you now ask why I have not done. Stampeding is not my weakness. On the contrary, I will always execute any order to the best of my ability with the means at hand. Immediately on taking command here I ordered troops from my command at Jackson and Bolivar, where they could be spared, that I might have the force to guard effectually the road from here to where guarded by General Sherman. Your orders have countermanded mine. It will be very difficult, however, to prevent the occasional taking up of a rail or cutting of a wire, as troops of my command passed the scene of the late catastrophe before it occurred and after, on the same day. I donot see that there has been more culpable neglect than was shown by Beauregard in permitting the road from Corinth to Bethel to be cut by my forces on the road south of him, by Colonel Elliott. As all the dispositions of the forces of the Army of the Tennessee have been made without my orders, and in most cases without my being informed of the changes, and as the running of the cars is expressly placed under the control of General McPherson, who had his agent here, and as I have never been directed to place any troops on the road, certainly no blame can attach to me.

U. 8S. GRANT,