Nov 30 1862 We need information on the enemy’s position and I have given instructions to Gen. Sherman to obtain it.

HOLLY SPRINGS, MISS., November 30, 1862.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN,

Commanding Right Wing:

GENERAL: At as early a day as practicable I want to have made a cavalry reconnaissance to the enemy’s right, taking with them three days’ rations. Tuesday will probably be the day for starting this expedition, and all the cavalry except escort companies and just sufficient for cavalry picket duty will be required. I will try to see you to-morrow, and when relative positions are fixed between the different wings, will establish telegraph offices to each. If you are likely to have any important information within a few hours you can retain the messenger that takes this to bring it back. No news from Hamilton this morning.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 364-5

O.R., I, xvii, part 2, p 371

I received a telegram from Gen. Hamilton,

LIMPKIN’S MILL,

Sundown, November 29, 1862.

GENERAL: Lee has pushed the enemy to within 4 miles of Tallahatchie, and will hold his position for the present. His advance was a continual skirmish. He sends in 1 prisoner and finds 4 dead rebels on the road.

The enemy will fight on the Tallahatchie. Country in front of us stripped of forage.

Please notify me of the completion of telegraph, so that I can call in courier posts. My scout is in from Grenada. About 7,000 troops have come up to Van Dorn in last two weeks. Mouth of Tippah Creek thoroughly fortified.

Enemy has no idea of evacuating as yet. Scout heard nothing of movement of Steele.

C. S. HAMILTON,

Major-General.

 

I passed this information on to Gen. Sherman, along with the following instructions,

HOLLY SPRINGS, MISS.,

November 29, 1862-8 p. m.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN,

Commanding Right Wing:

GENERAL: You two dispatches just received. I inclose with this one just received form Hamilton, which will give you the latest news from the front. I have directed Hamilton to move to his south and east, so as to let McPherson, who is now here with one division, in between him and you. Mac’s second division will be up by 10 a. m. to-morrow, and could go on to Lumpkin’s Mill, but I will retain it until Monday. If you can find water to your southeast, or rather to the southeast of Chulahoma, I would like you to move in that direction. At Chulahoma our front will be too extended. I will direct Hurlbut to send the cavalry of which you speak-sent as you desire. I don not know positively of any ford on the Tallahatchie west of the railroad except at Wyatt. To the east there are several, but I cannot now send you a sketch showing them. The crossings between Coil’s Ferry and Wyatt I believe are all ferries. Between Wyatt and the railroad I think there is no ford.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 362-3

O.R., I, xvii, part 1, p 367-8

Nov 29 1862.  Our troops have made good progress today.  I sent Gen. Halleck a telegram from Holly Springs Miss.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

HOLLY SPRINGS, MISS., November 29, 1862.

Troops occupy line 6 miles south of this. Cavalry 4 miles from Talahatchie. Considerable skirmishing to-day. Loss slight.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 360

O.R., I, xvii, part 1, 471

Nov 28 1862.  In preparation for the move south, I have organized my army into three wings.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. 13TH ARMY CORPS,
DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,
Numbers 7.
La Grange, Tenn., November 27, 1862.

Upon the forming of a junction between the forces now moving from here under Generals McPherson and Hamilton with those from Memphis under Major-General Sherman, the army in the field will be known and designated as follows:

Right wing, Major General W. T. Sherman commanding, and will be composed of the troops now under his command and such as are transferred to it by Special Orders, Numbers 30.

Center, commanded by Major General J. B. McPherson, and left wing, Brigadier General C. S. Hamilton commanding.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

JNO. A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

 

I sent orders to Gen. Hamilton to begin the move tomorrow.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY IN THE FIELD,
Old Lamar, November 28, 1862.

Brigadier General C. S. HAMILTON,

Commanding Left Wing:

GENERAL: Move to-morrow at the earliest possible hour and reach the nearest water to the south or southeast of Holly Springs. I have no information of water nearer than Lumpkin’s Mill, except directly east from Holly Springs. If I should not came up with you at Holly Springs to-morrow you can exercise your own judgment as to the expediency of sending McArthur’s division eastward to Chewalla Creek.

Detail four good companies of cavalry, well commanded, to remain at Holy Springs until they receive orders from me. I want to send them to communicate with Sherman.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

P. S.-Holly Springs will be my headquarter after to-morrow until further orders.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 352, 359

O.R., I, xvii, part 2, 364-5

Nov 26 1862.  I sent a telegram to Gen. Hamilton, ordering him to prepare to advance south.

HDQRS. THIRTEENTH A. C., DEPT. OF THE TENN.,
La Grange, Tenn., November 26, 1862.

Brigadier General C. S. HAMILTON,

Commanding Left Wing, Army in the Field:

GENERAL: You will be prepared to move with your entire command, except one regiment of McArther’s division now in charge of contraband, southward, making Coldwater the first day, by the most easterly roads found practicable for artillery. Ross’ and McArthur’s divisions are only embraced in the troops to march by this route. Quinby will march directly from Moscow, taking everything clean from that place, leaving no garrison. He will encamp the first night to the right of right wing; second day from the rear, and come up and take his position with the left wing when he encamps in the evening. Three days’ rations will be taken in haversacks and five in wagons. Two hundred thousand rations will be taken down the railroad on Monday morning next, as far as the road may then be practicable, from which point your teams will have to haul further supplies. No provision will be made for a reserve for the entire command, but each wing commander will provide for and have charge of his own reserve.

The order of march from each wing will be provided for by wing commanders.

Sherman leaves Memphis to-day, and is instructed to reach water to the southwest of Holly Springs on Sunday next. Our march must be so arranged as to reach water to the south, southeast, and southwest of Holly Springs on the same day.

Each commander will have with him 200 rounds of ammunition per man for the infantry and cavalry, and all the artillery ammunition their means of transportation will allow. Further supplies will be provided for by the ordnance officer, under instructions which he will receive direct from these headquarters.

Wing commanders will require all men to keep in ranks. At least one field officer should march in the rear of his regiments, and company officers should at all times be directly with their companies. On the first halt, regimental commanders, under supervision of division and brigade staff officers, should make an inspection of their entire commands, and take from every officer and soldier who is not entitled to forage from the United States that may be found mounted his horse and horse equipments, and send them back to the quartermaster at this place.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 350-1

O.R., I, xvii, part 2, p 362-3

Nov 24 1862.  I received a telegram from Gen. Halleck asking about the status of my department.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, November 23, 1862.

Major-General GRANT, La Grange, Tenn.;

Report the approximate number of men in your command and the number that can be sent down the river to Vicksburg,reserving merely enough to hold Corinth and West Tennessee.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

I replied,

LA GRANGE, TENN., November 24, 1862-9 a.m.

Memphis has 18,252 men for duty. Being well fortified, 16,000 can be spared. From other portions of department troops cannot be spared, except to move south on their present lines. I have contemplated an attack upon Pemberton and given my orders accordingly. Sherman will move on Wednesday and form junction with many forces south of Holly Springs on Sunday next. Steele has been written to to threaten Grenada, and Commodore Porter has sent some gunboats to operate about the mouth of Yazoo. Must I countermand the orders for this movement? It is too late to reach Sherman or Steele before they will have moved. Within the department I have 72,000 men.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General, Commanding.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 345-6

O.R., I, xvii, Part 1, 471

Nov 23 1862.  I wrote my father,

Lagrange Ten.

Nov 23d 1862

Dear Father,

A batch of letters from Covington, and among them one from you is just received.

I am only sorry your letter, and all that comes from you, speaks so condescendingly of every thing Julia says, writes or thinks.  You without probably being aware of it are so prejudiced against her that she could not please you.  This is not pleasing to me.

Your letter speaks of Fred’s illness.  Fred is a big stout looking boy, but he is not healthy.  The difference that has always been made between him and the other children has had a very bad influence on him.  He is sensitive and notices these things.  I hope no distinction will be made and he will in time recover from his diffidence caused by being scolded so much.

I wish you would have a bottle of Cod liver oil bought and have Fred take a table spoonful three times a day in part of a glass of ale each dose.  Dr. Pope of St. Louis says that he requires that treatment every little while and will continue to do so whilst he is growing.  One of Mary’s letters asks me for some explanation about the Iuka battle.  You can say that my report of that battle, and also of Corinth and the Hatchee went to Washington several weeks ago and I suppose will be printed.  These will answer her question fully.

Before you receive this I will again be in motion.  I feel every confidence of success but I know that a heavy force is now to my front.  If it is my good fortune to come out successfully, I will try and find time to write Mary a long letter.

Julia joins me in sending love to all of you.

Ulysses.

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 344-5

Rosenbach Foundation, Philadelphia, Pa

Nov 22 1862.  As we prepare to move further south, we will require the cooperation of the Navy.  I sent the following telegram to Rear Admiral David Porter,

JACKSON, [TENN.], November 22, 1862.
General Sherman will move from Memphis toward Holly Springs on Wednesday next. I will move on Saturday following. General Steele will also move from Helena on Grenada early the coming week. Any cooperation on the part of your fleet will be of great assistance. Please answer, giving me your programme.
U. S. GRANT,

Maj. Genl

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 340

O.R. (Navy), I, xxiii, 496-7

Nov 21 1862.  I sent a telegram from Columbus Ky to Gen. McPherson, informing him that Gen. Sherman has not yet met me here and that, barring necessity, I will remain here until I can meet with him.

Columbus 21st Nov

Genl McPherson

Is all quiet on the front; no boat has arrived here since Wednesday [Nov 19] and it is reported that quite a number of boats are aground between here and Memphis.  Riggin may be on one of those boats and Sherman consequently not have my order to meet me here.  Unless there is immediate necessity of my return, I will remain here until Saturday.  Answer.

US Grant

Maj Genl

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 338

McPherson Papers, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Nov 19 1862.  Gen. Ross has forwarded a letter from Rebel Gen. Van Dorn addressed to “Commanding Officer U. S. Forces, near La Grange” concerning the treatment of prisoners we have captured.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Abbeville, Miss., November 17, 1862.

COMMANDING OFFICER U. S. FORCES, near La Grange:

I have to reply, in answer to your communication relative to Captain Haywood’s company of partisan rangers, I have made necessary inquiries relative to this company and find that he received full and proper authority to raise a battalion of cavalry and that they belong regularly to the Confederate service and are entitled to all the rights of Confederate troops.

I wish to inquire if Captain S. O. Silence, U. S. Army, recruiting officer First Tennessee Cavalry, has been accepted in exchange for Lieutenant C. Sulivane, my aide-de-camp, captured at Hatchie Bridge and paroled. Captain S. O. Silence, U. S. Army, was sent with Lieutenant-Colonel Ducat, U. S. Army, who bore a flag of truce to these headquarters from General Rosecrans about the 20th of October, 1862.

I have also the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Captain T. W. Harris, assistant adjutant-general, and Captain William Clark, assistant commissary of subsistence, captured at and near Holly Springs, who are received and acknowledged as prisoners of war, and their names will be sent as others to the proper authorities for exchange.

EARL VAN DORN,

Major-General.

 

I replied,

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,
La Grange, Tenn., November 19, 1862.

Major General EARL VAN DORN, Abberville, Miss.

GENERAL: Your note of yesterday in relation to Haywood’s cavalry and the release of Lieutenant Sulivane, your aide-de-camp, is just received. I will order the immediate release on parole of all of Captain Haywood’s men now in our hands. You may regard the release of Lieutenant Sulivane as final and complete and I will so regard that of Captain Silence.

Accompanying your letter was one from Chief of Cavalry W. H. Jackson relative to the seizure of two horses by Colonel Lee from hospital steward and medical director to his command and making inquiry whether this is to be regarded as a precedent. To this I only have to reply that it is following every precedent that has come to my knowledge since the beginning of the war. There has been no instance to my knowledge where one of our surgeons has been permitted after capture to retain his horse or even his private pocket instruments. In the very last instance of the capture of one of our surgeons by Southern troops at Britton’s Lane the surgeon was deprived of his horse. I am disposed, however, to deal as leniently as possible with all captives, and am willing in future to adopt as a rule of action that none of the necessary camp and garrison equipments or accompaniments of that class of persons who by agreement are exempted from arrest as prisoners of war shall be taken. This of course to be mutual by both parties.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

 

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 6, p 334-5

O.R., II, iv, 729

O.R., II, iv, 946-7