T. H. Holmes to Hpers. Dept. Of Mississippi And East Louisiana, December 5, 1862
Tittle Rock, Ark., December 5, 1862.
(Received December 23, 1862.) General 8. CooPER, Adjt. and Insp. Gen., O. 8S. Army, Richmond, Va. :
GENERAL: Since the receipt of your first dispatch, desiring me to send 10,000 men to Vicksburg, the enemy have made two strong demonstrations on this frontier—one from the northwest, in which General Hindman’s cavalry division were driven back 14 miles from Cane Hill, Ark., leaving the enemy in possession of that part of the State and half the Cherokee Nation, to reclaim which General Hindman is now advancing with his entire force; the other, from Helena, with 9,000 men, on the Post of Arkansas, was made by land and water. It failed because the low water prevented concert of action between the two intended attacks. This expedition is the force that General Pemberton supposed had left Helena. It returned there three days after, and since then Generals Steele’s and Osterhaus’ divisions have been added to the garrison, where there are now not less than 25,000 men, with sixty pieces of artillery. To oppose this force I have 2,500 to defend. the fortifications at the Post of Arkansas and at Saint Charles, on White River, and twelve infantry regiments, numbering about 6,000 fighting men, near Brownsville, with three regiments of cavalry at Devall’s Bluff, on White River.
This was the precise state of affairs when your telegrams of the 28th and 29th reached me this evening. If I withdraw the infantry as directed there will be nothing to prevent the enemy’s coming to Little Rock. The whole valley of the Arkansas will be stampeded, and the political party which has constantly cried out that the country is deserted by the Government will pave the way to dangerous disloyalty and disgust. Besides this, if this river goes, the entire trans-Mississippi region goes with it, for the country between this and Red River is denuded of supplies, and the valley of the Red River is so crowded with slaves, carried there from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas, that it is doubtful whether its abundant crops will more than feed its population for another year.
Under these circumstances, and with the greatest reluctance, I hesitate to obey your last order, because it presupposes the safety of this river; besides this, I could not reach Vicksburg in less than thirty days, as I should have to carry my supplies, and the streams, now much swollen, would cause delay that could not be avoided, the distance being over 300 miles and the troops unaccustomed to marching. I believe my information is certain that it will not be attacked until the army in Mississippi is destroyed. For this purpose they have landed immense
forces at Memphis, coming from the Ohio River, and except at Helena there is not a Federal soldier below there. If I had left here when first directed to do so this valley would now have been in their possession. If I leave here now it will be so in less than thirty days.
I expect General Hindman to attack Schofield at Cane Hill to-morrow morning at daylight. If he succeeds, that part of Arkansas and the Indian country will be free. If he fails, it must be abandoned, as the supplies for an army there would have to come—the breadstufis from here and the beef from Texas. If I erred in not moving at once to Vicksburg it was because all your telegrams presupposed the safety of Arkansas. Sibley’s brigade was to have gone as infantry and had been strengthened by two regiments. General Taylor had not informed me of his urgent necessity in Louisiana, and I supposed they could be spared. I have no other infantry troops than those above disposed of.
very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
Major-General, Commanding.
HpeRs. DEPT. OF MISSISSIPPI AND EAST LOUISIANA,
Grenada, Miss., December 5, 1862.
General JOSEP EK. JOHNSTON,
Commanding, &c., Chattanooga, Tenn. :
GENERAL: Your telegram of the 4th instant reached me at a late hour
last night, and a brief message was forwarded in reply, indicating my