Today in History:

294 Series I Volume XXIV-III Serial 38 - Vicksburg Part III

Page 294 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.

[Inclosure Number 1.]

SUNDAY EVENING, May 10.

W. C. WELLS:

I have been at Roach's all day, waiting for my scouts, but, behold, none of them have come up to the mark. I send Ranse with dispatches, which you will forward promptly, as agreed upon. I also want my mare and saddle to-night, if possible. If you see any of my lost scouts, tell them to report at my house. The Yanks are at Utica; 1,500 cavalry and artillery.

Your,

J. R. RUSSELL.

P. S. -I could find horses if I could find my men to press the horses.

[Inclosure Number 2.]

FIVE MILES ABOVE UTICA, May 10, 1863-6 p. m.

Major-General LORING:

My scouts were in Cayuga and Utica last night; one went some distance below the college. The main force of the enemy is encamped from the college down to Rocky Springs, amounting in all to 20,000 or 30,000 men. A regiment of cavalry and three pieces of artillery advanced into Utica last evening; another regiment of cavalry advanced to Utica this morning; in all, about 1,500 men.

The enemy's pickets are 3 miles above Utica, on the Raymond road. They say they are going to Raymond and Jackson. A new road is being cut from the college and Hall's Ferry road into the Cayuga and Baldwin's Ferry road. About 300 or Wirt Adam's cavalry are at this place now. A more extensive scout will be out to-night, and the result reported on to-morrow.

J. R. RUSSELL,

Captain Co. B, Twenty-SECOND MISS. Regiment, Comdg. Scouts in Hinds.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Five-Mile Creek, MISS., May 11, 1863.

To the DIVISION Commanders:

All of the Thirteenth Army Corps, except the Tenth DIVISION (Brigadier General A. J. Smith), will take up the line of march in the morning for Fourteen-Mile Creek, and will move forward on the Auburn and Edwards Station road. The distance from here to Fourteen-Mile Creek, by the route diverges to the left and north from the Auburn road about a mile beyond Old Auburn.

The Twelfth DIVISION, General Hovey, will take the lead at 4 a. m. to-morrow. The Fourteenth DIVISION, General Carr, will follow next as soon as practicable. The NINTH DIVISION, General Osterhaus, will follow next as soon as practicable. The trains of the tree DIVISIONS will follow together in the same order, the ammunition trains preceding the baggage trains.

General Osterhaus will detail two regiments, a section of artillery, and a company of cavalry, to follow and guard the trains. He will also cause the pioneer corps, and all the cavalry, except one company, to


Page 294 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.