, 1865-11-06
OFFICIAL HISTORY.
Preliminary Correspondence.
&srn. Ranks, Report OF the Baltic or
| PteaRant Hill and his Reasons for Ro-
turning to The mi&sinafppl River.

..s1,. ls CuGasea IN et1nest Efforts to effect
the capture OF dartston. with view to thos. 7tr.
eEl Operations contemplated for the winter I'm.
palsn. Was informed 6y despatch rnscIrrd .jan.
,sd nsrs r. f. apa daied Jsnas il that ii was
Kissf, he could rely upon your tmy] co.ooe.ation
sl ano 0e certain Of receiving supplies upon thai
nne J. and q ihat ~ tie bes. ml,say op,no.s Of the
Red River, provided The stacr Of thc Watnr ,ronid
ea9ie the CnnDoais to eo~operate;' That this
Eoaa open better theatre Of operations tim nny
nss 1o5 r. sach troops .. General GIANT could spare
To- General draut ind Aajor GcnefaI Steek lad
been Written to. md was in.true4t 10 eons,1uai-
cote toth nt<7H Upon til. stR.}t1
Having made known my plan Of ope.ationx nm
The coast and fully stated, 1t o!atrca times, 1hc
aiH1culnes 10 he encountered In movements by land
r ne direction OF A1ezaud1a md Shreveport,
nio not seel at liberty 10 decline participation in
Inc campaign which had been PIES SD upon my al
te1rlon from the time I WAS assigned 10 the COM
Mand oi thts Department and which was now eup.-
ported " The concurrent opinions Of the General
oneeaf II the West On account Of difficulties
which might be obyiated By personal conference
W1ih eo'aTandca% o. BY orslczz from the Gcnetal-
,h-Chlcf 1t Was not, however. Without weu fonu-
ded Apprehcnslous Of the result Q the campaign,
md clear view Of the measures, which i sn.ges-
ted Indispensable to saccess, tl:st entered npon
The necessity Of perfect unity Of command and
Of purpose, II well Is Of constauf communication
between the torcet assigned TO luis duty md then
epssntcd by hundreds Of n,les, was loo apparent
replied 10 this dispatch on the cd OF January.
stating that "sith the forces propo.ca' 10 1;fi.
Gcrc,al Sherman AID Ccnernl htee}c n,f mS a.,
det,osatlc force | coucurrct in The onininn fhsf
the ked Rrcr was tho shortest and best line Of de-
fence for Louisiana and ArksI,ea- and NJ = }.se ~
opc1aIion4 aerinrt Texas, and thot will nv nvn n
forccs and those Of General Steele and the assist,
auce Of General Sherman the success Of the more
ror1nnt and thai should cordially co-ooerate x1h
tkcm II c1cccttnE the orders Of the Government.
In order that tie Inherent dif'cniies a.lcn ling
becn Thoroughly tested In the cl.,lo,.-n Of lS;3
aEd 1sCi. and WHICH had rcn:csenied with sx
much eaEnestncss ~ seemed 10 b: psopsr-aicot
be prceented In manner most like1, to c,n Att.n
tion, directed Major D. c. Houston. Chier En-
cineer Of the D,y1artuen,-xho nnesrssed The
hEhes. ela,ms e favorable consideration, tton
aeosain1snee Tih he goa,eto n nn,re sas En-" 9s
upon operations on Rcd River, which hati beca
long nnde! consideration. This .ss transmitted
la,c received the attEntion md annrorsi ~
tile Gcncral.iu- Chief, It Stated viii nrc1s,on
measures necessary to aecomnsb 1,,p nhier; tI0 dn
view. No Change wcnid be rc1nfrrf IN fhis si.te.
.cnt If il had been written in review miller if,s.,
as conatjon,jnd i-nensae ,6sncos.s. - 1si sueS
camp3efe preliminary oy-aniyaiton As xonid aynsd
the feaet delag IN our mpycmcufs afier lie cnm
paicn Ind opened. "a. Tint line o! supply BE-
tstutehcd from ibe s1Essissirn; in,r,n1,Gr,t ~
water cou,Ees sd. Tho concentration Of he iorss
west Of the Mississippi and such o.her forces as
rapt conrnatld, in euch tuanner as to c.nei t1,e
enemy IRON Northern Louisiana and ArEansas.
Att! sncb preparation End concert Of action omon,-
The different corps employed a. to prevent ihe enc
ny, b keeping: linn employed. fnorn onsrni,1.-
against our positions or 1orcs elsewhere ina. xiii
lin, the eutTc fo1cc should be 7,laced undcr COM
c.1nIr1en uere advised, and The mouih OF Mur IL
dicnitd as tue point OF t}mc. when tho ocrnn;tfnn
at Shreveport might be anticipated. not one Of
iThcnnt ifrnft,s. ~ 1he H. ns
4nlo cscculou Dor was II In nv power 10 e.fshl,,h
mem. INC troops under tfe command Of Gen.
steele weFe acting indep ndcni1y Of my command,
Elder o:dGss not communicate 10 ne, and At snch
distance, thai II Eas impossible to as2ertaln his
moEtments Or inform him OF my onn+ 50 that we
nigh, eo.ope'ats With q support each o:hes. The
Detachment Of troops from the COM
rand Of Ma. Gen. sherman, though opes-
attng Upon the same line with ny own,
were under special orders. having Interior
partial. GO operation IA the expedition. The a.s-
tanes which sepanttd TIE tiifelent comnanas; r..
tions between them; the absence Of a erneral nn.
1ho.ity to command them; ihe time that was r.
CURED lor The transmission Of o:de.s from Wash.
ateouni Of the coudiou Of the riycrs, ind opef.-
rs 70 sEobaaas:m In the orpaazaiion oT fd4ces
overcome.
In the Instruction.. received from the Govern
mcu !! Eas leit to my discretion whether CT not
| to communicate Will Gentral shrrrnnn md 1;e,,
SleeIe und Adm{rai portcr Tnon 10 s"b,a-t -
at;pe vih IN re N mnae!,aa suoac s ma ~ eoopcr
im;1Sr1ance 10 1he toyeFn1,rnt IT, ,xhtt{ e. ucn @
con1mapd was urcorsl and nv feiicy ~, III, ~
t95se deSns,s ;;ls + wou1a bs entirely
ioii nv ai-crcfon n,d ~. rrtn,,E sseatanea
ORGANIZATION Of he e1ncdiioo ~ ~ cancsrad ~ a. @
wsTe at IN end. "~= 'A'@'
n,r ..,n,s NJ ,rr.,.-- u,, .
Ro4Ds. ->'''1' . ~'''<'
ctnhn.,l tIs ~ !ew aayh ne pasea:e OF the
oats ssere uns,e ~ nata psnd NC Fd nc 9e5g gun.
Under Command ct a taJa ESoi s@it Ihs Sit t5Gp @
,narrht M ,sua 70 I'm a.anspos oy me t1yeF now
csSt;n,7 ~ ~ aaau m Mc4!:ocae. M VIII the cx-
under i,ri,' Ten i: XIII II n,,t5 IN; men
~ H. ,i!cr l. o;, 3,S eahtnned a.. IL liz movements BY
tIan n ie ~ trsn1no:, "a sae 1eet sos iae protso
p II shi. potio1 q Se eontn ., aaa q
III he IjtiriHmsa.31 x @ tn \. ~ me Transports
rnntt at lila n.,i =" ~, t,a ~ ~, toe 1oopst Wce
atend De yf Until ths I'D Of 1pi. IT, RE % eoeat. H.
eiun of ths o1rmcmt .ioe, .ss :, LIZ. Ile Eospeo
rrrrnf far rhs s,1tStas insi r. 9 a. eiihef point
Ieh1er ii na,igane. rpoa id. e saGjset = he be
~. F,,rIa, y. Ua aasa oIcefs Was tmplsc-
I'm cosu. Gnostn. .s, Un laG atn o. april Coo1sl
sngaeed : upon Eec%1nnoiss79cc % north Of TIE Red
e1rnno IN = hish iSe c,.c7,s ,ras ac1aoas l.o
side1s63e los Our iots "a sba 1nIsx wo VI o9 So9
Ieci.t.e IN Tbr ax " ~, une ,e enemx fepule "a
nsrt rio rintsan1 tTisi ~ W. Is9,a 'os onfsse-
tssni Lee, with The cavalry disis,on. id liz o.a ~.
OF the I3tb corns undrr 1;ener, Ra,e,, - -
v.ion Of the naf cnrps nndeT I:aatai III o.!
brigade OF coosed Ifoons under ,hs ann a,
mxnd Of MAJOR Gencra, Frani,;n rt. ds1,et com
OF The 1G,h nFmy corps- nnde1 oomm,nd nf tf.ta
DIR Gene1al A. j. smith, iollow@ed @ on the = III sni
Porter on ts 1ssr as ensI far 9{a Admiral
II deet Nas d1ected 10 Losg5 H.yoa, % s oppoz,te
uoaid Be- III Sh T fana f1l
Crpts R0xds Al ,fenre ~ ef,s1r. ,i3a ~ saua9
nom Grand Ecore, and one huaa:ed 1niIes INV nv
water. / fe1nained NTH = Y,nrfinn ~ ~, ley Y
tnper.n,end he depsrtn,e f ihe ,1ret ~ ~ a t9
toIces from Grant Ecore until he noTnino 81 fbe
9Th. and then rode 1apldly forward, rcachIne the
smiths Command N. a, ,he ~, e19e1Sped G9 AZ Gen
The march: but passed lie negro b1issde on tie
aas e 81 e e: n e, rafa q 81 % ssgS II 9Ss
T1e sfnrm III 1ot ~se ~ uaa9s ~ o. artillery.
In rastfn. The tr[,cns fo,, ~ o. nc eo1nmn
al, Hi endeayosed A. Inncb AZ nosE,1;s 10 10 !!ea
The FnemEfoee1ed ~ .,,,,,.s,.,., a..
IN The 6,h N s1,e ~ ~ s. ~ .usir matth
force to pleasant lint Ind mr. ,f,sre 'e o. ssna
r.5 ~ III IL o.5uno. Mns!e enafp tEht oc-
from which thcr Wc1c drisen rs,h sc1;nS. foanoa s
%f1ls .,,on, -. 7rs a1s ,,f,sk AtSoa near Gar7ols
our forces bironscLed ~ tbe ,iass t. -, ~1ers
In thie ac1inn r. ~ is;,, Sustained
wounded, and nina rnisstne ~ eien, een,.a
p,ironerr md ,he rns,nr sr<,.,nsd G.ulsa many
Killed an wounded. nHrinc: ;ha aas aosses n
Lee sent 10 Gen. Frantiin ~ -cSnf 1en.
hcSinr csaaea II ,ias ui.65. ~ .ne airing
men touht with ,rrst sn,ri1 r. ~, as, anu
ircoE AZ The ~ Isar =. - ~ u atai1. Al GET.
i1fcade Of tbe iii cns nndcr ~ Sn "loee snpp1n
btCa ecnt hy nv 6rser a s.saM..ti Su aianasaa. h1u
enemy. drove lin fInro II. 4sc{,,op upon ne
ns,fsned him 10 Easi1e c-aas Ga. hayon and
miles nom Msnsseld. The udsonoa aar r.. aoout thfes
IN VA .1 nn,y d,;xe, tr' u Lne enemy stnbbon.
the rosd ~ sr+,c-x I,s E aeienfi!e M POSITIONS On
rirsde al lie iii, cn1s ~ pug CT an9thcf
Ifoads uner E+i.Saor a.5lseu va tae Cfoss
he Iii brioae TTe t,ntrx t2 relieve
fJl Al dsy6ai m H. ~ H. hns " stu IT, leasaat