Corinth, Mississippi,
August 19th, 1862.
Dear Sister:
Julia and the children left here on Saturday last for St.
Louis where they will remain on a visit until about the last of the month. At
the end of that time they must be some place where the children can go to
school. — Mrs. Hillyer has a nice house in the city and is all alone whilst her
husband is on my staff, and it may be that she and Julia will keep house
together. If they do she would be very much pleased to have you make her a long
visit. Julia says that she is satisfied that the best place for the children is
in Covington. But there are so many of them that she sometimes feels as if they
were not wanted. Their visit down here in Dixie was very pleasant and they were
very loth to leave. Things however began to look so threatening that I thought
it was best for them to leave. I am now in a situation where it is impossible
for me to do more than to protect my long lines of defence. I have the
Mississippi to Memphis, the railroad from Columbus to Corinth, from Jackson to
Bolivar, from Corinth to Decatur, and the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers to
keep open. Guerillas are hovering around in every direction, getting whipped
every day some place by some of my command, but keeping us busy. The war is
evidently growing oppressive to the Southern people. Their institution1 are beginning to have
ideas of their own; every time an expedition goes out many of them follow in
the wake of the army and come into camp. I am using them as teamsters, hospital
attendants, company cooks and so forth, thus saving soldiers to carry the
musket. I don't know what is to become of these poor people in the end, but it
weakens the enemy to take them from them. If the new levies are sent in soon
the rebels will have a good time getting in their crops this Fall.
I have abandoned all hope of being able to make a visit home
till the close of the war. A few weeks’ recreation would be very grateful
however. It is one constant strain now and has been for a year. If I do get
through I think I will take a few months of pure and undefiled rest. I stand it
well, however, having gained some fifteen pounds in weight since leaving Cairo.
Give my love to all at home.
ULYS.
__________
1 Slaves.
SOURCE: Jesse Grant Cramer, Editor, Letters of
Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, p. 87-9
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