Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-03-31
GEN. JOHNSTON REPORT OF OPERA TONS
IN MISSISSIPPI AND EAST LOUISIANA.
MRRIDIAN, MISS, Nov. l, 1863

| AGJttdnt and Inspector General:
SIR-The following report of nv operations in the De-.
parnsnt OF Mississippi and East Louisiana respectfully
as for the By
Mississippi where thought my presence had become
necessary, received In obils March l2th the fol
lowing telegram from the Secretary of War; dated March
9th:
Order Gen Bragg to report to the War Depa1tment
for conference Assume Yourself direct charge OF the Ar
my ~ Middle Tennessee"
bona Onmy arrival informed the secretary # Wa by
telegram of Marcel IS that Gen. Bragg could mot then
Critical eond,on Of his family " '''o0 90 -' VI ''
On the loh of April repeated this to the President
and added: Being unwell then, afterwards became
sick, and am not able in the field general
Bragg ls therefore, necessary here. TN the 22th my
or service in the field was reported to the secre
Oa1he 9Th of May received, at Tu!ahoms the follow
uE dispatch Of the date from the Secretary Of Mar
proceed at once to Mississippi and take chief
of the orces hstegivbg TO those in the field
practice be the encouragement ard benefit Of
1t is thus that neither r,y orders my health per
Iitted lie to visit issppi after the eth OF March, uut
the time when took direct charge of that
From the time Of my arrival at Trahoua un l4th
ndica ed that the efforts Of the enemy would ainst
General Bragg rather than himself and looked to the
abandonment OF his attempts on Vicksburg. In that Of
Il satisfied Rosecfans will be reinforced from Grants
army Shall orde: troops 10 Tulahoma ~
On the l7tb of April Gen. Pemberton eegr sphed The
turn OF Grant and the resumption of the operations against
On the 29h Of April, he teegraphed The enemy is
at Hard Times in large force wi barees and Transports
|
Vcksbug. He also reported heavy firing at Grand Cult
he shelng GUY batteries bo,h above below.
On tile list OF cay he tecg aphed: f1rit battle
has been going On since daght just below Port Gibson
Enemy can cross u his army from Haid Times
to Buinsbnrg should have large reinorcements. Enc.
mys mo yemens threaten cksou and il successful,
Off Vicksbug and Pc Hudson urged him to
attack Grant mme dately his landing
and on the next day sent the following dispatch to him
Ii Grant unite all your troops to beat him Sue
cess will give back what was abandoned to win it,
te!egraphed to ycu OF the st General Pembelton
calls Tor la &c renforceHens. They cannot be sent from
Tennessee. [ bTi
gadts be sert IRON tbs Enst?'
ON the ill., egau ash ed tor rtiniorcements Miss-
sippi.
reseived further report OF tie battle Port Gibson
and on asked Gen Pembe1ton ~. hat is the res rt
and where Grants army?' -3eived no answer and
gained no additional nfofmsto relation either sub
dienoe to my orders OF May 9th.
Then, May l3th received dispatch from Gen. Penn
berton, dated VIcksburg May 18th, asking tor reinforce
ments a. the enemy il large force, moving fom the
NJ south Of the BIZ Black apparently towards
ward sufficient force leaving troops enough to secure the
Before my arrival at Jackson had beaten General
Bowen Port Gibson, made good The landing of his army
occupied Grand Gulf and was marching upon the Jackson
On reaching Jackson the night of the 18th of May,
six thousand learned from General Gregg that Maxey 8
brigade expected to arrive Port Hudson the
Port hudson Give thousand) and of Vcksburg, were
Edwards depot-that Generals headquarters bovi4a
Clinton ten miles west Of Jackson, between Edwar os de
pot and ourselves. was that achievements
under Gen. Gst would probably arrive the day,
with haxeys brigade, swell my force to about eleven
thousand.
Upon this information sent General Pemberton on
the night, Q3thl dispatch informing him of my
sns army urging the imporinnce OF ~ re es ppJi
communications, and ordering him to up, practical
be Shermans at once, and addng TO beat such
a detachment would be OF immense valne. The troops
could cooperate All the strength quickly
On Thursday, May l4th the enemy advanced by the
Raymond and Clinton roads upon jackson The resistance
time for the removal of the pubic stores and at two P
NJ, We retFeated by the Caaton road from which alone
marching six miles The troops eDcamped.
From th4 point sent tg Cen Pemberton the dispatch
OF nay S hod ' of copy nv
last night compelled Brgader General Gregg and his
sy of taking the Canton road, at right angles to that
upon which The enemy approached, prevented obsti
reached Raymond last night, advanced tho
time from that direction Prisoners say that it Nc
Phersons (four dsions) which marched from Clinton.
certain information OF the o'her; both skrmish
ed cautious kilograms were dispatched when the
preaching troops point tty fifty miles ON Jack
son, and General Ma1ey TO return to his wagons and
for the security OF his brigade for instance by join
ing Gen. Gist. That body of troops wall be able hope,
to prevent the enemy in Jackson craving provisions
the equity towards Panoa Can he supply himself from
the Mississippi! Can you not cut him OF from it? And
above ALL should he be compelled to tall back tor
supp es beat im IA soon as the reItorc ments are all
up, they must be united to the rest OF the am
| d
dict q heavy blow upon the nemy.
''Woud better to place the forces to support
Vicksbug between Gen. Lorng and that place, and mere
the ierries SO that might upite opportu
nifty to fight presented itself.
General Gregg Will move towards Canton to-morrow.-
If isonors tell the TRUTH forces at jackson must be
half of Grants Amy. 1t would decide the campaign
beat it, done only by concentrating especial
the remainder OF the eastern troops arrive they
are be twelve thousand or thirtseA thousand"
This dispatch Lot answered. General Penherton
stated in his official report, that received 81 Six
Nj the 10Th, whist the retreat from the bsttle
field of Bakers creek
me mar ched ten and halt miles further Calhoun sta
ton the morning of tia" day received letter from
General Pemberton, GATED Edwards depot May l4th
II shall move early to-norl morning as practica
No n co,unu of seventeen thousand billions The oh
ct il to cut oil the enemy's communications and force
him to attack me- do not consider my force sufficient
to Justify attack Tho enemy IL position, to cut my
way to Jackson.
This was the commune alton received from Genera
| Pembertcn after my arrival at Jackson and from it
after the receipt order to do and that the juno
ton of the forces which could have been by
18th was deferred and that, in dsobedence OF ders
and opposition to the views OF majority OF the council
of war composed OF all his generals pTesen before whom
he placed the subject he had decided to make moVemen
was Immediately instructed that thore was but mode
by which we could unite, viz : by MS moving directly s
roops rest after IN gue they had undergon
in tbs shcs and marches preceding the retreat frcn
Jackson having yet certain intelligence Of Genera
Pembsrton's route, General Gsts position. did no
move on Saturday In the evening received reply to
last Dispatch dated four miles south OF Edwards depot
NAV 18th stating had reached him at six thirty tina
mofnng that it found the army the middle road
: RAYMOND The order of countermarch has been issued
Owing to the destruction OF bridge Bakers creek
which runs for distance parallel with the railroad
ana south of it, march will be the road leading rol
ESvards' depot, in the direction Of Brownsville. Til
road runs nearly parallel with the railroad In going
Clinton shall leave Bottoms depot tour miles to tn
right i am thus particular that you may be able
make junction with this army In postscript he II
ported heavy skirnshlng now gong On In my iront;