Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-21

dispatch Of he 18th already qnoted and that bis army
before be received sny orders from ne was seven
eight miles Of the Big Blsek, Edwards depot
On May 18th, Gen. Pembertons reply, dated Vlcks.
burg May 18th, to my communication Of the I7lh WAS
brought me, near Vernon, where bad gone with the
troops under ny commaad for the purpose Of effect
ing Junction with him. In the event Of his evaeuang
Vicksburg, As had ordered, In which he advised
that he had "aSsembleda council Of Of the general
officers Of this command ani having laid your instrue-
tons before them, Gged the free exprsgRion Of their
opiuionsas to the praetcabIity Of carrying them
The opinion was Hnanimously expressed that Il
impossible 70 withdraw the army from this position
with such Hrale aud material a. to be Of further ser
vice to the s9asaesao3n 0u receiving this iufsrmG-
ten, replied 4 an trying 70 gather force which
may attempt 10 relieve you. Hold CUT Ths sane
dsy sent orders 70 MAJ Gen Gardner 30 sVaeunt0
Port Hudson
my line between Jackson and Canton the Junction
Of the TWO commands had become Impossible
On the 20ih and 2ist OF May, / Yves Joined BY tho
brigsdos Of Generals Gist. Ector and AcNair. The
division Of Gen Lorng, cut of from Gen. Pemberton
in the battle OF Boxers creek, reached Jackson on
5Osh aud Gen. NAxey with his brigade on the ed
Bv the 4th Of June the army had IN addition 10 these
been reinfcrcsd by the brigade ef Gen. Evans the d
vision Of Gen Breckinridgs ard the of csvary
numbering thousand eight hundred comm anded By
Brig Gen ". h Jackson. Small az was this force
about tWenty-four thousand infsRtTy and artillery not
ene-thrd Of that Of the enemy, 1t was deficient in ar
isry in ammunition for all arms, and field trsnspOrta
ten and could rot be moved upon that enemy already
eutrenchiDE hs large force with any hone Of success
The draft upon the eoHEtry had 80 fr reduced the
June that drsught animals could be procured from dis
tant points for the artillery ana trains.
There was no want of coumisFary supplies in the
sartmeut but the limited transportation caused de-
Acieney for a moving army.
on the 23d OF May, received 4 dispRfoh from Major
Gen Gardner dated Port Hudson, MAY q L informing
ms that the enemy aaOut to at Bayou Sara;
that the whole force from Bzten Rouge was in his front
sad asking be reinforced On this my orders he
evacuation OF Port Hudson were repeated, and lie
informed Yea cannot be reinforced. Do not slow
yssr1elf be invested At every risk Rave hs troops
If practicable, move in this direction" This dis
psteh cid not rsa4b Gen Gardner-eort Hudson being
then inverted
About ths a4lh Of Nay, the enemy nadesuch demon.
strsons above the Big Slack ard towards Yaz0o City,
that Walkers division to Yszoo City with orders
to fortify it and The demonstrations being renewed
placed LoringS division within supporting Ssaucs Of
Walkers a. q, in person, t0Uk post a. Canton
dispatches arrived from General PembsrtOD, dated
ViczhurE May 20h and 2Ist In that Of tho 2Jth, be
stated that the ey had asss ed bis entrencbsd lines
The day before and rsQulsed with heavy osH de
estimated their loss less than sixty thousand; ard
asked that musket caps be sent they being bis main
eessity. Hs concluded An army will be nscess2Ey
TO Vicksburs. snd that quickly VIII it he sentr
On the 2ls hs wrote; Tbs men credit ana are en-
coarsSed By report thst you near, with large
fsree. They lighting in good spiriH aud their or
Gaps were sent As fast az they arrived On May 29h
sent dispatch to General PembertOn to the following
effect:
II au too weak to Esve VicksburE. Can Go no Eore
than attempt to save you and your garrison It will be
impossible extchte you unless you cooperate and
we make mutually supporting movements. CoHmuni
cate your plans a1d suggestions If possible
The receipt Of this was acknowledged 10 cOmmuni-
cation dated, VickEburs June J, in which Gen. Penn
bertoa rays:
we can get no information from outside as to your
position or sreugth, and very te in regard 10 the en-
emy,"
In 8 Dispatch dated June TO- from Gen. Gardner, the
ft recsved since his Investment be repor ed having
Tepussd the enemy in several severe att ackH but that
he was gsttlng short Of provisions and ammunition
To which replied, juno Is, infoI ming hin that 1ai
no means Of relieving hiEl, adding Gen TsYur viii
do what he the opposite side Of tbs river. Hold
the place as long you can and, possible, withdraw
in any direction, or cut your way out II - very in
porfant TO keep Banks and his forces occupied" II
Dispatch dated June 20 sent him word that Gen Tay
lor bad intended 70 attack the enemy opposite Port
HusoR The night Of the 18th and attempt to send
cattle across the river.
The want Of field transportation rendered any move
meut for he relief Of Port Hudson impossible, had =
march in that direction been sRvissbie but such a
march would have enabled Grant (vyho had BOW com
pletsd his strong lines around Veksburg) hsvs eat
and from the moment that put my troops IN march in
that direction ths whole OF Middle and North Aasis.
sippi would have been open TO the enemy.
On June 7th repeated the substance OF my dispatch
Of May 2sth to Gen. Pemberton-
On the 4th Of June iold the Secretary Of war, in
answer to this call for my plans that my only plan
TO relieve Yicksb1rg and ny fcrce far too small for
the purpose.
On June 10th told him had not at my disposal half
the troops necessary.
on the 18th se 10 him 'sto take from Bragg force
which would make this AMY t 10 oppose Grsat Weuld
Involve yielding Tennessee. It is for the Government
- decide between thig Stats and Tennessee"
On she I4th sent General Psmbsrton the following
All that attempt to do is to save you and your
garrison To dc this exact operation Indispensable
BY fighting the enemy simultaneously at the same
points Of his line y0u may be extrestsd Our Joint
forces cannot raise the siege Of Vgksburg Ny com
nnncRtion with tee resr best be preserved by op
erGtiug north Of railroad inform me, as pos
ab,e what points VIII suit you best. Your dispatches
Of the I2th received General Taylor with eight thou-
hand men, viii endeavor to open communications with
nrnrr f0
Psmbston replied June tst recommending ne TO move
north Of the railroad towards Vcksburg, 10 keep the
enemy attracted TO that side and stating that be would
himself move at the proper time BY the srrenton road,
crossing the Big Black a. Hanknsons ferry hat the
other roads are too strongly enrenehsd and she enemy
In too heavy force, for reasonable prospect Of suce
unless couie compel him to abandon his cdnmunica-
lions by Suyder'a
On the l5ih expressed to the Department the oDln
lon that without great biunder Of the enemy We
could not hold both, (iszssippi and Tenuesssel and
that considered saving Vi0ksburg hopeless
On the IsLn ssia Grants position, naturally very
strong is ntrsnched and protected BY powerful art
lsry, and the roads Obs;rueted His reinE5reements
ave bsen At least equal to my whols force. The Big
retreat defeated
On June 22i in reply to a dispatch from Gen PEN
aerton Of the 18TH in which he said that though Tue
greatly reduced Tations be had su ient for twenty
days. Informed him that Gen Taylor had been senr
by Gen Z. K Sm n 70 co operate with him ON taa
west bank Of the Assissppi, and that DAY or vyo
would try 10 make div in his faFur. and. Il
lsssibe, open com unicat0RE; adding though fear
ny force Is too small to effect the latter have onf
Iyo-thlrds OF the force you told messenger Saunders
state to the least with which ought 10 make
N sttempt. SeSuis report the enemy fOrtifyinT to-
yards and the roads blocked
day two after this dispatch brought me /
rom General Penbertou, dated June 22d, suggesting
hat should make to Grant proposions 70 pass this
lmy out with all it's arms and equiPagesi" renewing
is hope Of nv being able, By force OF arms 20 sst
sh Er, and expressing the opinion hsi he could hold
u1 for hfteen days longer To this dispatch replied
Jlne s6lh, inftTmng him that General Z X Slsith's
- Md at I h~d
in to assume tie direct and and continued
tbs determined spirit you manifest aod his expected
ooPere euons encourage to hope that soHleth p nav
- be done to Yies burg aud to pcs;rou b0tb II
ls modes suggested OF merely extreatin9 the garri.
1A Negotiations with 9rEn for The relief OF the gar
son should they become necessary, must be male bv
on Il would be confession OF WEAKNESS on nv mart
tieh ought not to make, to propose theaa When n
scOr1es necessary TO make terms thew nav ha eosI
rcd Rs n ade under my authority"
On the 18th june hsid transportation and other ,7
lss hAYog been obtained the army masehsd toy-arfs
ls Big Black, and, the evening OF JuIv Iyt eB. |
s.aped between Brownsville and he river -''
Reconnossanees, which oce6 PIED the 81 snd Al co1
need me that the attack north Of tho rairosd was i'm
&C leaDe determined, therefore, TO make the eE- /
nnstions necessary for the attempt south OF te rail-
sd Thinking from what was already knosn that
q chance for success much better tn rs aihouph
. eonssqusness of defeat might bs more disastro1s
On the night Of the 3D. messenger was sent to Gen
'Inberton With information that attempt 10 cssate
1t, and that hoped to attack The enemy aboh TIE
vsnth.
On the nftb however we learned the t1u Of Vicks-
ifg, and, therefore, fell bsSk to jackson.
Tie army reached Jackson the evening OF the ssv.
"a, and % ths morning Of the ninth the enemy 10.
AIRED Ia AeaYy force in font OF the works thrown IN
lhe cefsnse OF the place These, consisting OF a
OF ribs piis, prepared zt intervals for artillery e
1iii3g tom point north Of the town ntls east Of
Clinton road to point south OF the town. within
0rt distance Of Pearl river and covered most Of the
prOachss west Of ths river but wers baoly located
a constructed, presenting but slight obstacle 10 a
znroLS 5ssAalt
The troops promptly took their posoBs in the in
,Kchmeuts On the apPearsHoe Of the enemy in expec
ion of an immediate assault Msor-GensrgI I,oFirg
eiloyiBg the right Ms0r-Geaeral Walker ~ |
ht of tte center &ajor-densrRl French tba |
t oi the center, and Major General Breck-
itlgs the left The cavalry, under Rriesdier. |
neral Jackson, was ordered 90 observe and | ,
ard tho f0rds OF Pearl river above and below tie
va.
Fhs reports tAat had, at various times been made to
by the commanding etheers Of the troops eneamDed
Qr jackson, Of the scarcity Of wafer led me 10 h.
vs that sherman, who advanced in heavy order Of
tile from Clinton, could not beEege. bnt would b
rfs7f max. an Z z