Unknown to John O. Kelton, June 30, 1862

June 30, 1862.

June 30, 1862. Col. J. O. KELTON, Assistant Adjutant-General, Corinth, Miss. :

I report the following for the information of the commanding general :

Murphy’s brigade left yesterday afternoon, as ordered, for Ripley. Colonel Sheridan, from the front, reports that Perkins, railroad engineer, formerly of Corinth, direct from Mobile, with lady from Columbus, just reached his camp, says: Theenemyallat Tupelo. Breckinridge’s division gone to Vicksburg. Beauregard in Mobile, resigned. Advanced guards 2 miles south of Guntown. Two regiments of cavalry at Saltillo; one more in advance of that. General Villepigue is on the Mississippi Central. Four thousand infantry and 2,700 cavalry reported to have a skirmish with us, where there was a bridge burned.

Another statement from a contraband that ran away from Columbus on the 24th instant: Rebels fortifying Columbus, but not much work done. Forty thousand rebels at Tupelo, south creek, no fortifications. Twenty-four regiments left Tupelo for Fulton on Wednesday. On Thursday at 2 o’clock four regiments of infantry and six pieces of artillery at Saltillo.

W. S. ROSECRANS, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

POPE’S HEADQUARTERS, June 30, 1862.

Colonel KELTON, Assistant Adjutant-General :

For the information of the commanding general I telegraph from General Hamilton’s dispatch, dated 2.30 p. m. yesterday, the following :

Third Michigan went yesterday to Salem, returning this morning. Reports no rebel troops except cavalry north of the Tallahatrhie. One infantry regiment has been at Holly Springs since our troops were there, but had fallen back on the Tallahatchie. Country invested by guerrillas; 200 visited Ripley the night our cavalry were in

advance of the place. Two deserters from Breckinridge left him Tuesday. His forces were at Tallahatchie, but had left for Vicksburg on Wednesday morning. Price’s and Van Dorn’s commands were at same place. e impression there was they were maneuvering to get back into Arkansas. I give this as my opinion also, and I think they will try to get their artillery down the Yazoo. If they are at Tallahatchie it can only be to watch for an advance down the railroad from Grand Junction, not to make an attack on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. They cannot cross the Tallahatchie in a hurry, coming or going. The little water there is at Ripley will be dried up in a week; wells are scarce. Thetown could not accommodate more than a brigade. There is no shade for bivouacking within 4 miles. The crossing of the valley of the Tallahatchie is a swamp 1 mile long and might be made very difficult. It is my best route back. The direct road from Corinth to Ripley is not practicable. The Hatchie Bridge is destroyed and the bottom very bad.

I shall send a regiment of Murphy’s brigade to guard the Hatchie Crossing and watch Nolin’s. The other four regiments go to the best position near Ripley to support Hamilton, who has orders to move on Holly Springs, and if he finds the enemy in force to communicate with Sherman and fightthem. If pressed by a superior force, to fall slowly back, command Colonel Murphy, and be governed by circumstances. If no enemy be found requiring his detention he will return to Ripley and report for orders from there.

W. S. ROSECRANS, Brigadier-General.

CoRINTH, June 30, 1862. Maj. Gen. WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, Moscow: Grand Junction must be held by Hurlbut’s or your forces. The detachment of Wallace or McClernand there must be sent north. H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General.

LA GRANGE, TENN., June 30, 1862. Maj. Gen. WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, Moscow, Tenn. :

The troops at Grand Junction have no transportation. I shall have to leave them there. It is reported that Breckinridge is moving west toward Memphis.

[S. A. HURLBUT,] Brigadier-General.

Mosoow, June [30 1], 1862. General HuRLBUT, La Grange, Tenn. :

I will move at 2 p. m., and expect to communicate with you at Lamar and effect a junction at or near Hudsonville. The scarcity of water may force us to Coldwater as soon as possible. I think the afternoon will be cool and fine for the march. Be careful not to encumber yourself with anything but provisions, ammunition, and essentials. From Lamar you could detach a small mounted party to Salem and beyond to hear of Hamilton, whose division is in advance.

Don’t think Breckinridge would move on Memphis with its uncertanties, with a heavy force on his flank and another approaching. I doubt if he will remain at Holly Springs, and think he will fall behind the Tallahatchie.

Have you heard whether ecais have reached Holly Springs or not? I have nothing from there. Ce weap r

W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.

CoRINTH, Miss., July 1, 1862.

(Received 9.16 p. m.) Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your corrected telegram of 28th was received last night. I had already acted on the imperfect copy received yesterday morning. General McClernand was ordered to send as many of his division as possible to Columbus by every train. General Quinby has been ordered to detach as many as he can spare from his command near Columbus. Light-draught boats have been ordered from Saint Louis to take one division from this place via Pittsburg. A part of Wallace’s division will be sent from Memphis as soon as I can relieve them.

I fear that you have overestimated the strength of the army in West Tennessee. Since the departure of General Buell’s army and the detachments to General Curtis’ I have less than 65,000 effective men. After sending the detachment ordered to Washington I shall have less than 40,000. We have repaired and have now to guard, between Columbus, Memphis, and Decatur, 367 miles of railroad, besides the posts established on Mississippi River, and many rivers. All scouts, spies, deserters, and prisoners without a single exception report that no troops have been sent from here East. The rebel force in this State is not less than 75,000 or 80,000 men, and Bragg is raising conscripts daily. These are facts of which I have the most reliable evidence. The enemy acts in a friendly country, requiring no guards for his depots, and has an immense rolling stock, so that he can in a few days concentrate on any one point. We cannot so concentrate. I am therefore satisfied that a detachment of 25,000 from this army at the present time will result in the loss of Arkansas or West Tennessee and perhaps both.

Those who have not the proper data have been disposed to underrate the force of the enemy and to overrate that of thisarmy. The facts are precisely as here given. Those who represent otherwise deceive you. Either the Chattanooga expedition must be postponed or a less force sent to Washington, or we have left the alternative of losing much that we have gained here in the West. To surrender any territory we have acquired is certain death to all Union men in that territory. Any loss on our part will be followed by insurrection in Tennessee and Kentucky, and we shall find still greater difficulty in the pacification of those States than we have encountered in Missouri.

H. W. HALLECK, Major-General.

CoRINTH, July 1, 1862. (Received 9.40 p. m.) The PRESIDENT :

Your telegram, just received, saves Western Tennessee. The former order was positive, and I had no alternative but obedience. The enemy is undoubtedly preparing to attack some point of our lines, supposing our forces diminished. I immediately ordered them all back to their posts. If these troops had been sent East we should have been defeated or forced to retreat.

H. W. HALLECK, Major-General, Commanding.

CoRINTH, July 1, [1862]—8.45 a. m. (Received 9.40 p. m.) Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War:

Telegraph suspending orders for troops is received. If order had been carried out we should have been either defeated or forced to retreat. No forces can be spared at present. The enemy is apparently preparing to make an attack, and his guerrillas have already done us considerable damage.

H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General, Commanding.

CoRINTH, July 1, 1862. Major-General GRANT:

All accounts confirm the belief that no large force of the enemy has moved west toward Memphis. On the contrary, they are concentrating east of the Tombigbee and opening roads to Marietta. I have very little doubt they are preparing to attack somewhere between here and Decatur. You will perceive the absurdity under these circumstances of moving more of our troops west.

MEMPHIS, July 1, 1862. Major-General HALLEOK : I will locate the points to be fortified immediately, and as soon as authorized to draw in my cavalry now outside the city will impress negroes to work on them. There are but few negro men in the city. U. S. GRANT, Major-General.

CoRINTH, July 1, 1862. (Received Memphis, July 1.) Major-General GRANT:

Passes to go South except for military purposes must come from Washington. No forces can be sent you from here. On the contrary, it may be necessary to withdraw Hurlbut or Sherman and abandon the road between here and Memphis. Colonel Kinney will be ordered to report to Colonel Hoffman, superintendent of prisoners of war, to effect the exchange.

I have no engineer officer to send you at present. It is evident that Wallace’s division cannot be removed from Memphis till Sherman or Hurlbut is sent to that vicinity, and one is insufficient to defend the road. It is possible that we shall abandon the railroad entirely. I will wait for further orders from Washington. Perhaps the Secretary of War may be induced to revoke his order.

H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General.

JACKSON, TENN., July 1, 1862. Major-General HALLECK, Corinth :

I started one brigade at day dawn on foot; will send remainder by rail as fast as possible. I will order teams to follow to Columbus unCnar. XXIX.) CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.~—UNION. 61

less you direet otherwise. Will turn over camp and garrison equipage to quartermaster.

Had I not better leave the Twelfth Michigan and Sixty-first Dlinvis here? They are undisciplined, disorganized, and deficient in numbers. They were placed under my command since Shiloh. Will you restore the Eighth Missouri to General Wallace’s division.

I will leave artillery and cavalry here unless you direct otherwise.

General Logan is informed of acts of pillage’and violence by some of the troops at Humboldt, which must disgrace the army if not repressed. By sending an agent here he could probably get some facts.

I trust you will direct General Wallace’s division to halt at Cairo, if it should be ahead of General Logan’s, so that I may arrange transportation for both.

JOHN A. McCLERNAND, Major-General, Commanding.

CoRINTH, July 1, 1862. Major-General MCOLERNAND, Jackson: Orders from Washington are suspended. Stop all movements of

your troops. H. W. HALLEOK, Major-General.

(Similar dispatches to Brig. Gen. R. Allen, Pittsburg Landing, and Col. William Myers, Saint Louis.)

JULY 1, 1862. Major-General HALLEOK :

Nothing from the front save telegraph from Asboth saying it is said Hamilton is encamped 14 miles west; also that the road has been blockaded between Rienzi and Nolin’s. I do not credit either.

Orders have been given to send a messenger to Hamilton. We have a regiment of infantry and a section of artillery at the Hatchie Crossing.

Mizner has gone down to Booneville with all his available cavalry. A regiment of infantry and a battery have been sent by Asboth to support Sheridan. I think it would be prudent for Todd to send a cavalry scout out toward Hamilton to meet him and report the condition of the road from Ripley to Corinth in case it should become necessary for him to use it. Would it not be well by way of precaution to advise Sherman to communicate with him, in case my orders have been miscarried, that he is to come back, looking out for his left?

W. S. ROSECRANS, Brigadier-General.