McClernand last night was relieved of his command and ordered to report to Washington for orders. As the matter may be of some importance, I telegraph the correspondence connected with it. The congratulatory address spoken of in General Grant's first letter is one that first reached here in the Missouri Democrat of June 11. In it he claims for himself most of the glory of the campaign; reaffirms that on May 22 he held two rebel forts for several hours, and imputes to other commanders a failure to aid him to keep them and take the city. The letters are as follows:
- Major-General Ulysses S. Grant to Major-General John A. McClernand, June 17, 1863
- Major-General John A. McClernand to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, June 18, 1863
- Major-General Ulysses S. Grant: Special Orders, No. 164, June 18, 1863
- Major-General John A. McClernand to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, June 18, 1863
Though the congratulatory address in question is the occasion of McClernand's removal, it is not its cause, as McClernand intimates when he says incorrectly that General Grant has taken exceptions to this address. That cause, as I understand it, is his repeated disobedience of important orders, his general insubordinate disposition, and his palpable incompetence for the duties of the position. As I learned by private conversation, it was, in General Grant's judgment, also necessary that he should be removed, for the reason, above all, that his relations with other corps commanders rendered it impossible that the chief command of this army should devolve upon him, as it would have done were General Grant disabled, without most pernicious consequences to the cause.
Lauman's division,
having for some days past been temporarily attached to the Thirteenth Corps,
will remain under Ord's command. Herron will continue to report directly to
department headquarters. Captain Comstock takes general charge of the siege
works on the lines of both Lauman and Herron. The siege works here are steadily
progressing on the right and center, rather in the way of enlargement of
covered ways and strengthening of the lines than of direct advances. On the
front of the Thirteenth Corps and the extreme left, our works constantly
approach those of the enemy. On the right of our center, however, an important
advantage was this morning gained by General Ransom, who during the night pushed
his trenches so that at daylight his sharpshooters were able to take in reverse
the whole right flank of the main rebel fort in his front, called Fort Hill. He
soon drove out the enemy, killing and wounding many, and will be able to crown
the rebel parapet with his artillery whenever the order is given. The rebels are
constructing an interior battery to cover the works they have thus virtually
lost. Trustworthy advices from Jackson to the 16th show that Joe Johnston had
withdrawn his troops thence. A few guards were all the troops there. As I have
before reported, Breckinridge was at Clinton. The rebels are endeavoring to
establish at Demopolis, on the Tombigbee, the gun-carriage factory we burned at
Jackson. Ten thousand troops from Bragg had passed through that place—re-enforcements
to Joe Johnston. No cavalry was among them nor any heavy artillery.
Weather is hot;
thermometer at 95 degrees. The springs from which we get water are becoming
bad. They are full of lime from decayed shells.
Secretary of War.
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