Today in History:

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

Page 802 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.

artillery; 12 or 15 wounded. Repairs are being made, expecting a renewal of attack to-morrow. Transports loaded with troops in sight, but inactive.

J. C. PEMBERTON.

JACKSON, April 29, 1863.

General JOSEPH E. Johnston, Tullahoma:

Very heavy firing at Grand Gulf. Enemy shelling our batteries from above and below. The wires are down. Do not know whether the enemy has made a landing on this side of Mississippi River. If not, Grierson's cavalry has cut them. All the cavalry I can raise is close on their rear, and was skirmishing with them last night.

J. C. PEMBERTON.

TULLAHOMA, April 29, 1863.

General S. COOPER, Richmond:

General Pemberton reports the enemy in force at [Hard Times], opposite Grand Gulf, with barges, indicating intention to attack Vicksburg. Depends on Army of Tennessee to defend Northern Mississippi. That army can make no large detachments, except the cavalry near Courtland, which is opposed by 10,000 to 12,000 Federals from Corinth.

J. E. Johnston.


HDQRS. DEPT. MISS. AND E. La., Jackson, April 29, 1863.

General JOSEPH E. Johnston, Tullahoma, Tenn.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of 27th instant, informing me that cavalry from Mobile is directed to operate in enemy's rear, and you add that you are sorry that I did not sooner report raid in Southern Mississippi. As this expression of your regret may seem to imply censure, which I feel is undeserved, I beg leave to call your attention to my telegram of 20th, in which I stated that the enemy was endeavoring to force a diversion of my troops to Northern Mississippi, and asking whether you could not make a heavy demonstration with cavalry toward Abbeville or Tallahatchee River, if only for 50 miles. I have now before me the telegram which conveyed to me the first information of the raid which has since proved so successful. It is dated from Grenada, April 20, and is addressed to me in these words, to wit:

The force [R. H.] Bonner reported at Hudsonville have reached Wyatt's Ferry, on Tallahatchee. Another heavy force is said to be coming from Corinth to New Albany.

SAM. HENDERSON,
Capterefore conveyed the information to you as soon as I received it myself. It was the column from LA Grange, which passed through New Albany and Pontotoc, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Decatur, crossed the Southern Railroad at Newton Station, and was, last night, at Brookhaven. You will perceive from the accompanying copy of a letter of April 3,* in reply to one of 25th ultimo from me to your headquarters, that I have long been apprehensive of these raids, though I confess I did not expect them to penetrate the department to its southern limits, nor, I presume, did you. I must now respectfully repeat that

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*See p. 712.

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Page 802 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.