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Chewalla； Jane 6； 1862。
Major…General GRANT。
My DEAR SIR： I have just received your note； and am rejoiced at your conclusion to remain； for you could not be quiet at home for a week when armies were moving； and rest could not relieve your mind of the gnawing sensation that injustice had been done you。
My orders at Chewalla were to rescue the wrecked trains there； to reconnoitre westward and estimate the amount of damage to the railroad as far as Grand Junction； about fifty miles。 We camped our troops on high； healthy ground to the south of Chewalla； and after I had personally reconnoitred the country； details of men were made and volunteer locomotive engineers obtained to superintend the repairs。 I found six locomotives and about sixty cars； thrown from the track； parts of the machinery detached and hidden in the surrounding swamp； and all damaged as much by fire as possible。 It seems that these trains were inside of Corinth during the night of evacuation； loading up with all sorts of commissary stores； etc。； and about daylight were started west； but the cavalry…picket stationed at the Tuscumbia bridge had； by mistake or panic； burned the bridge before the trains got to them。 The trains； therefore； were caught； and the engineers and guards hastily scattered the stores into the swamp； and disabled the trains as far as they could； before our cavalry had discovered their critical situation。 The weather was hot； and the swamp fairly stunk with the putrid flour and fermenting sugar and molasses； I was so much exposed there in the hot sun； pushing forward the work； that I got a touch of malarial fever； which hung on me for a month； and forced me to ride two days in an ambulance； the only time I ever did such a thing during the whole war。 By the 7th I reported to General Halleck that the amount of work necessary to reestablish the railroad between Corinth and Grand Junction was so great； that he concluded not to attempt its repair； but to rely on the road back to Jackson （Tennessee）； and forward to Grand Junction； and I was ordered to move to Grand Junction； to take up the repairs from there toward Memphis。
The evacuation of Corinth by Beauregard； and the movements of General McClernand's force toward Memphis； had necessitated the evacuation of Fort Pillow； which occurred about June 1st； soon followed by the further withdrawal of the Confederate army from Memphis； by reason of the destruction of the rebel gunboats in the bold and dashing attack by our gun。 boats under command of Admiral Davis； who had succeeded Foote。 This occurred June 7th。 Admiral Farragut had also captured New Orleans after the terrible passage of Forts Jackson and St。 Philip on May 24th； and had ascended the river as high as Vicksburg； so that it seemed as though； before the end of June； we should surely have full possession of the whole river。 But it is now known that the progress of our Western armies had aroused the rebel government to the exercise of the most stupendous energy。 Every man capable of bearing arms at the South was declared to be a soldier； and forced to act as such。 All their armies were greatly reenforced； and the most despotic power was granted to enforce discipline and supplies。 Beauregard was replaced by Bragg； a man of more abilityof greater powers of organization； of action； and disciplinebut naturally exacting and severe； and not possessing the qualities to attract the love of his officers and men。 He had a hard task to bring into order and discipline that mass of men to whose command he succeeded at Tupelo； with which he afterward fairly outmanoeuvred General Buell； and forced him back from Chattanooga to Louisville。 It was a fatal mistake； however； that halted General Halleck at Corinth； and led him to disperse and scatter the best materials for a fighting army that； up to that date； had been assembled in the West。
During the latter part of June and first half of July； I had my own and Hurlbut's divisions about Grand Junction； Lagrange； Moscow； and Lafayette； building railroad…trestles and bridges； fighting off cavalry detachments coming from the south； and waging an everlasting quarrel with planters about their negroes and fences they trying； in the midst of moving armies； to raise a crop of corn。 On the 17th of June I sent a detachment of two brigades； under General M。 L。 Smith； to Holly Springs； in the belief that I could better protect the railroad from some point in front than by scattering our men along it； and； on the 23d； I was at Lafayette Station； when General Grant； with his staff and a very insignificant escort； arrived from Corinth en route for Memphis； to take command of that place and of the District of West Tennessee。 He came very near falling into the hands of the enemy； who infested the whole country with small but bold detachments of cavalry。 Up to that time I had received my orders direct from General Halleck at Corinth； but soon after I fell under the immediate command of General Grant and so continued to the end of the war； but； on the 29th； General Halleck notified me that 〃a division of troops under General C。 S。 Hamilton of 'Rosecrans's army corps；' had passed the Hatchie from Corinth；〃 and was destined for Holly Springs； ordering me to 〃cooperate as far as advisable；〃 but 〃not to neglect the protection of the road。〃 I ordered General Hurlbut to leave detachments at Grand Junction and Lagrange； and to march for Holly Springs。 I left detachments at Moscow and Lafayette； and； with about four thousand men； marched for the same point。 Hurlbut and I met at Hudsonville； and thence marched to the Coldwater； within four miles of Holly Springs。 We encountered only small detachments of rebel cavalry under Colonels Jackson and Pierson； and drove them into and through Holly Springs； but they hung about； and I kept an infantry brigade in Holly Springs to keep them out。 I heard nothing from General Hamilton till the 5th of July； when I received a letter from him dated Rienzi； saying that he had been within nineteen miles of Holly Springs and had turned back for Corinth； and on the next day； July 6th； I got a telegraph order from General Halleck； of July 2d； sent me by courier from Moscow； 〃not to attempt to hold Holly Springs； but to fall back and protect the railroad。〃 We accordingly marched back twenty…five milesHurlbut to Lagrange； and I to Moscow。 The enemy had no infantry nearer than the Tallahatchee bridge； but their cavalry was saucy and active； superior to ours； and I despaired of ever protecting a railroad； preventing a broad front of one hundred miles； from their dashes。
About this time； we were taunted by the Confederate soldiers and citizens with the assertion that Lee had defeated McClellan at Richmond； that he would soon be in Washington； and that our turn would come next。 The extreme caution of General Halleck also indicated that something had gone wrong； and； on the 16th of July； at Moscow； I received a dispatch from him； announcing that he had been summoned to Washington； which he seemed to regret； and which at that moment I most deeply deplored。 He announced that his command would devolve on General Grant； who had been summoned around from Memphis to Corinth by way of Columbus； Kentucky； and that I was to go into Memphis to take command。 of the District of West Tennessee； vacated by General Grant。 By this time； also； I was made aware that the great； army that had assembled at Corinth at the end of May had been scattered and dissipated； and that terrible disasters had befallen our other armies in Virginia and the East。
I soon received orders to move to Memphis； taking Hurlbut's division along。 We reached Memphis on the 21st； and on the 22d I posted my three brigades mostly in and near Fort Dickering； and Hurlbut's division next below on the river…bank by reason of the scarcity of water； except in the Mississippi River itself。 The weather was intensely hot。 The same order that took us to Memphis required me to send the division of General Lew Wallace （then commanded by Brigadier…General A。 P。 Hovey） to Helena； Arkansas； to report to General Curtis； which was easily accomplished by steamboat。 I made my own camp in a vacant lot； near Mr。 Moon's house； and gave my chief attention to the construction of Fort Pickering； then in charge of Major Prime； United States Engineers； to perfecting the drill and discipline of the two divisions under my command； and to the administration of civil affairs。
At the time when General Halleck was summoned from Corinth to Washington； to succeed McClellan as commander…in…chief； I surely expected of him immediate and important results。 The Army of the Ohio was at the time marching toward Chattanooga； and was strung from Eastport by Huntsville to Bridgeport； under the command of General Buell。 In like manner； the Army of the Tennessee was strung along the same general line； from Memphis to Tuscumbia； and was commanded by General Grant； with no common commander for both these forces： so that the great army which General Halleck had so well assembled at Corinth； was put on the defensive； with a frontage of three hundred miles。 Soon thereafter the rebels displayed peculiar energy and military skill。 General Bragg had reorganized the ar