HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,
Near Vicksburg, Miss., June 15, 1863.
Maj. Gen. JOHN A. McCLERNAND,
Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps:
A portion of the Ninth Army Corps, about 8,000 strong, have
now arrived, and will take position on the south side of the city, thus making
the investment complete. This will release General Herron, who is instructed to
move to General Hovey's place, thus contracting your front to the ground
occupied by Smith and Carr.
Should the enemy attack Haynes' Bluff in such force as to
make it necessary to detach a greater force than has already been designated, i.e., the
six reserve brigades of McPherson's and Sherman's corps, I will have to
entirely uncover on the south side of the city. This will necessarily involve
an exposure of our left flank from the garrison of Vicksburg. We should hold
and fight the enemy wherever he presents himself, from the extreme right to
your extreme left—that is, all the ground taken by the three army corps on
first investing the city should be held.
Your left division is, or will be, replaced by one
numerically stronger. By replacing it thus it gives you a reserve of three
brigades. Lauman's, with nearly 6,000 men, will also be there to strengthen you
still further in this emergency.
I do not want to give up the front occupied by Lauman unless
it should become absolutely necessary to do so, but give this as a plan to be
adopted in case of the greatest pressure on the left. The idea, then, is, that
two lines should now be selected running perpendicular to our present line, one
from Lauman's left, along Hall's Ferry road, and one from Hovey's present left.
Should Parke's command, the Ninth Corps, be removed, your reserve should at
once be thrown on to the first line chosen on the Hall's Ferry road. Should
they be so hotly pressed as to make it necessary for them to fall back into the
second line, then Lauman's division should be brought into it also. The very
moment an order goes for the removal of the Ninth Corps you will be notified.
You will then assume command of all the forces to the left of you in addition
to your own corps.
Everything in the shape of ammunition, commissary stores,
and other public property not required, should be got back to within what may
possibly become our most contracted line.
Should the enemy attempt to get past your left, with the
view of forming a junction with Johnston's forces, he must be defeated. An
attempt to leave his lines, however, I do not look upon as probable. This would
give us the city, and leave my whole force to act directly against the enemy,
and as a last resort fall into his lines, and act on the defensive, behind
works of his own building. This is given only as a general plan, to be adopted
under certain circumstances. The movements of an enemy necessarily determine
counter-movements.
After writing the foregoing, and after General Parke had
moved one division of his command to opposite Warrenton, I had to change my
plan and send him to Haynes' Bluff. From information received, the enemy have
12,000 infantry and artillery at Yazoo, with orders to move south; four
thousand cavalry already between the Yazoo and Big Black River, and Loring
ordered to cross. This made it necessary to send the extra force up the Yazoo
River.
You will assume command of Lauman's division at once, Herron
taking up part of the ground occupied by Lauman. The latter can better spare a
garrison regiment to garrison Warrenton than any one else. I would not take a
regiment from you for a garrison of Warrenton, but Herron has a long line to
hold, and but eight regiments to do it with.
Lauman will be directed to report to and receive orders from
you.
U.S. GRANT.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A
Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 24, Part 3 (Serial No. 38), p. 409-10
