Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-10
To THE sEcRErAEr o. war.

EEHFetnA HIM. and His Reasons 70
Retaining 20 the Mississippi River.
To THE sECEETAEy ~ WAH:
Nl-While engaged in earnest effort
10 effect The capture Of Galveston, wit
view 70 those general operations con
templated for the winter campaign, wa
informed by dispatch received Jlnuar
tweuty-third, and dated Januar
eleventh, that il was proposed that Gen
steele should advance 70 Red river, il b
could rely upon your my cooperation
and be certain Of receiving supplies up0l
that line and that " the best military
opinions Of the Generals Of the Wes
seemed 10 favor operations on Red river
provided the stage Of the water wOul,
enable the gunbo3ts 10 co-Operate;" F." tina
" this would open better theater Of ope
rations than any other for such troop
as Gen. Grant could spare during tn
winter I was also informed that Mai
Gen. Grant and Maj.-Ceu. Steele haC
been written tO,and / was Instructed Z,
communicate nth them upon this suljccf
Having made known my plan Of ope
rations on the coast. and fully stated, a
different times, the difficulties to be en-
countered in movements by land IN tbs
dissection Of Alexandra and Shreveport
did not feel at liberty to decline partici,
patton in the campaign which had been
pressed upon my attention from the time
I was assigned 10 the command Of this
Department, and which was now sup
ported BY the concurrent opinions of the
General officers in the West, ON account
q difficulties which might be obviated
by personal conference with commanders,
or by orders from the General-in-C Chief
Il was not, however, without well
founded spprehensi0ns Of the result Of
the campaign, and a clear view of the
measures (which / suggested, indis-
peusable TO success, that ! entered upon
Jllis new campaign.
The necessity Of a perfect unity OF
command and of purpose, a. well as Of
constant communication between the
forces assigned 10 this duty. and then
separated by hundreds of miles, was too
apparent 10 admit of question.
replied TO this dispatch on the etwenty-
third of january, stating that with the
forces proposed, ' Jo-wit: Gen. sherman
and Gen. steele and nv own disposable
force, ! cUncUrrad IN the opinion that the
Red River was the shortest and best line
of defence for Louisiana and Arkansas,
and as a base OF operations against Texas,
and thar with my own forces and those
Of Gen. Steele and the assistance of Gen.
Sherman. the Success OF the movement
on that line might he made certain and
important, and that | should cordially
cooperate with them in executing the
or6ers Of the Government.
In order ihat the inherent difficulties
attending the proposed combined move
ment-which had been thoroughly tested
IN The campaign Of eighteen hundred and
siEty-th-ee and eighteen hundred and
siEtv-f0ur, and which had represented
with as much earnestness Is seemed 10
he propeT-miEh. be- presented in man
nor most likely Co. gain attention, ! dl-
reets-d Mai. ID. c. Houston, Chief Engi-
naer Of the Dep3rtmeHt-Who possessed
rle highest claims to favorable consider
alton, from professionals qualifications and
eSparence and his scqu3intanceWith the
route-t0 prepare a memorial upon Ope-
ratirr- on Red River, which had been
long Under consideration.
This w.e transmitted 70 the headquar-
tcrs Of the army, and appeared TO have
received the attention and approval Of
rne Generai-in-Chi IL is stated with
precision the obstacles TO be encountered
and the measures necessary 10 accom-
uli-h the object in view No change
would be required In this statement If il
had been written i'm review rather than
in anticipation Of the campaign. II
recommended as q condition indispensa-
bic 10 success: First, such complete pre-
Iminary organization as would avoid the
least DELAY in our movements after the
campaign had opened. Second, That a
line Of supply be established from the
Mississippi independent Of water courses,
Third, The concentration Of the forces
west Of the Mississippi and such OtEer
forces as should be assigned % this duty
from Gen. Sherman's command, in such
amanner a5 10 eEpel the enemy from
Northern Louisiana and Arkansas
Fourth, such preparation and concert o.
action among the different corps EN-
ployed IS to prevent the enemy, by
keeping him employed, from operating
against our positions or forces elsewhere
aud, Fifth, That the entire force shoulC
bc placed under command Of single
General. Preparations for a long cam
paIgn Were advised, and the month D
Nav indicated as thepoint Of time wheI
the occupation Of Shreveport might b
Anticipated.
Not one Of these suggest ions, 50 neces
sary in c0nquering the inherent difiicul
ties Of the expedition, were carried mt
execution. nor was il in nay power 10 es
tsblish them. The troops under the com
mand Oi Cen Steele were acting lnde
uendently Of my command, under order
not communicated 10 me, and at sucl
Nl.-Es.LIffE AalsHa LA " a. A1AtfAN ~ 49,
tain his movements OF inform him OF m,
own, 80 that we might cooperate wit
nr support each other. The detachmen
OF troops from the c0mmando OF Maj Gen
sherman, though operating upon III
same line with my own, were ullde
special orders, having Interior objects j
eisw and afforded an earnest, but only
martial. ee-Operati0l il fhe eyneditioT
Tnc distance which separated the differ
eut commands; the impOssibility Of G;
fatii-hiHg necessary communication 0t
tween iLesH: the absence ef general ~
rhority 70 command them the time tha
was required for the transmission
orders from Washington, and the nece'
ziry or Immediate action on account
sle condition Of the rivers, ana operation
contemplated for the armies elsewhert
gave rise 70 embarrassnents in the o.
gsnizatiol of forces ard in the eXecutio
0f orders. which cOulu not be OAercom'
IN the instructions ] received from q
Government ID was LEFT TO my discretio
whether oE not 7 would ioin in this eXD'
dit.Ju. bm ! was direetod 20 c0mAUu
rate with Gen. Sherman and &c
steele and Admiral Porter upon the sal
iect ] expressed the satisfaction shOul
find ia cooperating with them IN a NOV
meGt deemed 0f 50 much importance
uIe Government 10 which my own con
Mard was unequal, and my belief thi
with The fGrce- designated i W0Iid
entirely successful. Havlngreceived fToI
thgln similar assurances, hotsii my c.5t.r
iiql ana my authority, so far as u
organization or rue p1priition was col
rerned, were az an end.
THE BAIILLs DF PLEAeAyT HILL AZ
sAb-sE CROSS ROADS.
Anticipating by few days the passae
ri the glnDotl-r lue army marched an
the larger guubOat- were unable 10 IA.
Grand Ec0re. Tho traa.s usdz- ON
mand Of Gen. A. J. Smith. which hs
hitherto moved iu TRANSPORTS by II
river. nov marched by land from Natcl
itgehes. with theeXceplouo NOT one dIyisis
OF the seventeeth corps, tg.s tbolysgr
Eve hundred men, under Brig Gen.
Kubv Smith, which, by order Of Gen.
i smith. continued its movements I
lie river Ia company with the fleet Z
fha protection of the transports. II
srrangemeut OF land transportation
this portion Of the column, the replenls
ing Of supply trains from the transpof
and the distribution Of rations 20 {
troops, were made al this point; but
Heet was unable 10 ascend the river un
Nae aiftAAA tl 4al4lAT 444A Ds-tNt4e4'+i
she uVer would have justified the suspf
sion Of the movement altogetherat eiu
point, except for the anticipation
such a change a. 10 render il navigab
Upon this subject the counsel Of {
naval officers was implicitly followe
On the fourth Of April, Col. o. +. Goo
ing, commanding a brigade Of cayalI
engaged upon a Reconnaissance north
the Red river, encountered Harrison
command, fifteen hundred strong
which Sic enemy was defeated, wi
considerable loss Our loss was 40,
forty IN killed, wounded and missii
The enenly's repUlse was decisive. T
army was put in motion for Shrevepc
piq Pleasant Hill and Mansfield, AT
sixth. Gen, Lee, with the cavalry di
sion, led the advance, followed by a
tachment Of two divisions of the Ii
teenth corps, under Gen. Ransom,