[June 22, 1863.]
I have received
yours in relation to the movements of the enemy and have been prepared for it
for some days. I have three rifled guns right in front of the town under charge
of Col' Ellet and fifty sharp-shooters All the rest of the Brigade are
stationed on the lower end of the canal and in the woods with six pieces of
Artillery. The Gun boats all have their orders if they get coal but I am sorry
to say that no attention has been paid to your orders about carts A System of
signals has been established all along the levee—and and with the Gun boats
which are ordered to rush on regardless of every thing and swamp the boats with
their wheels I would recommend that two of your best side wheel steamers
transports be got ready with about two hundred soldiers on each to destroy the
boats as they try to escape. I know they have many skiffs and every man is
making a paddle—so a deserter tells us —The De Kalb and Forrest Rose are at
Haines Bluff—I will have three gun boats at Millikens Bend, three at Youngs
Point, three from the head of the canal stretching along the River and one
covering this point—Look out strong the Rebels dont come up stream in the eddy,
and escape by the Bayou where the Cincinatti is—I have sixty (60) bbls tar with
which I will illuminate the River— I will look out—only I wish I had coal—it
makes me very helpless without it
SOURCE: John Y.
Simon, Editor, The Papers of Ulysses S.
Grant, Volume 8, p. 399
