Major-General Ulysses S. Grant: Special Orders, No. 143, May 28, 1863

SPECIAL ORDERS, No. 143.}

HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE,        

In Field, near Vicksburg, Miss., May 28, 1863.

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IV. Army corps commanders and commanders of detached forces before Vicksburg will picket all roads, respectively, in rear of their respective positions, by which their camps or the city of Vicksburg can be approached, and prohibit all persons coming into or going out of our lines without special authority from the corps of commanders of detached forces whose pickets they desire to pass or the authority of the general commanding, The pickets will be placed sufficiently far out as to prevent sunrise from any raid the enemy may attempt to make, and each commander will notify the others of the position of his pickets.

V. All that portion of the State of Louisiana now in the occupancy of the Army of the Tennessee will constitute the District of Northeastern Louisiana, and be commanded by Brig. Gen. J. C. Sullivan. During the absence of Brig. Gen. J. P. Hawkins, all troops of African descent in the District of Northeastern Louisiana will be under the immediate command of Col. Isaac F. Shepard.

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By order of Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant:

[JNO. A. RAWLINS,]        

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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. 356-7

Mrs. Mary Duncan* to Brigadier-General Lorenzo Thomas, June 2, 1863

[June 26, 1863, Washington]

I enclose a letter I a few days since received on my return from the south west, the perusal of which has caused me much regret. Dr Duncan who I had formerly known many years ago at Natchez, is a union man, and when I was on the Mississippi his plantations I understood had not been molested which I was glad to hear The depredations referred to must have been committed after I left that section of the country Will you please direct an enquiry into the case. I have also sent a copy of it to General Hawkins The President and Secretary are highly pleased with your operations, which have been so successful, and they look with interest to your further progress. We hope soon to hear of the fall of Vicksburg, an issue event of the highest importance A severe spell of sickness at Memphis & Louisville, compelled me to leave the south, before visiting General Rosecrans Army. I am getting well rapidly but am still very weak I shall go to Tennessee as soon as I am well enough. Say to Col Wilson that the proper correction has been made in the extract 11 of Special Orders No. 227 of May 21st respecting Capt Badeau. I understand a Regiment of blacks (4th Mississippi) is in your rifle pits—will you please direct its commander to send me the roster of the officers that I may send the letters of appointment I hope a 5th Mississippi may soon be formed and thus have a brigade I had intended to recommend Col Shepard 1st Mississippi as a brigadier General to command it, but hear he is in some serious difficulty—will you inform me its nature, and whether it should prevent his advancement.

SOURCE: John Y. Simon, Editor, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 9, p. 25

Charles A. Dana to Edwin M. Stanton, June 22, 1863 – 9 a.m.

NEAR VICKSBURG, MISS., June 22, 1863 — 9 a.m.,

VIA MEMPHIS, June 28 — Noon.

(Received July 1 — 11 p.m.)

Joe Johnston's plan is at last developed. He began yesterday to throw his army across the Big Black at various points above Bridgeport, and principally in the vicinity of Birdsong's Ferry. A squadron of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry had a fight at Bridgeport with about 500 rebel horse, and lost 40 or 50 killed, wounded, and captured, besides one mountain howitzer. At once on the receipt of this intelligence the troops prepared for Sherman here, with the division at Haynes' Bluff, proceeded to move out, and before 11 a.m. to-day all will be at their destination on the heights and beyond the bottoms in the headwaters of Clear Creek. Johnston must move up mainly by the Benton or Jackson road, which makes a detour from Oak Ridge Post-Office to the northeast, until in the region of his crossing it nearly touches the Big Black; but the greater part of this road winds along very narrow and precipitous ridges, heavily wooded, where a column cannot deploy, and where the advance can easily be checked or its attack repulsed. On this side of Oak Ridge, about the head of Clear Creek, there is a broad, open region, extensively cultivated, where a great army might deploy and fight advantageously — at least on equal terms. The effort of Sherman will be to settle the question before Joe Johnston can get to this open place. Sherman has in all about 30,000, besides cavalry. General Grant holds in readiness to march to re-enforce him five brigades more, under A. J. Smith and Herron, while Osterhaus, with one brigade stationed at the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad crossing of Big Black, is to join him in case of need. As to the strength that Joe Johnston commands, we have no new information. If he pushes his advance, a battle may be fought to-day or to-morrow. The roads he has before him have all been obstructed.

Nothing to report here except steady progress in the siege. Ord is working very hard to bring up the lines where McClernand left them behind, but it will take some time to remedy the disorder which that incompetent commander produced in every part of the corps he has left.

Allow me to represent the very great necessity that some first-rate officer, with suitable energy, patient in character, should be sent here, or found here, to take the place of General J. P. Hawkins, and conduct the organization of the African forces. Hawkins is sick, and very probably will not again be robust enough to efficiently resume his duties in this climate, and the public service is suffering terribly in this most delicate matter in consequence of his absence. I do not know here an officer who could do the duty half as well as he, so that I make no recommendation; but none but a man of the very highest qualities can succeed in the work. I am happy to report that the sentiment of this army with regard to the employment of negro troops has been revolutionized by the bravery of the blacks in the recent battle of Milliken's Bend. Prominent officers, who used in private to sneer at the idea, are now heartily in favor of it.

C. A. DANA.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 24, Part 1 (Serial No. 36), p. 105-6