Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-10-14
AN INTERESTING LETTER WRIT
TEN BY GEN. GRANT DURING THE
VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN.

The New York T5iJune says: The
following letter has been placed in our
hands by gentleman who furnishes it
from collection Of autographs. It was
written by Major General Grant, to his
fathera at Milliken Bend, Louisiana, during
the Vicksburg campaign. We print it
just as it is, word for word. We have
no hesitation in saying that more re-
markable document, and one that reflects
more credit upon the illustrious writer,
has not before been given to the Ameri
can people:
MILLIKEN's BEND, La, April 81, 1868
DEAR FATHER: Your letter Of the
7th of April has just this day reached
me. | hasten to answer your interroga
tions When left Memphis, with my
past experience, [ prohibited trade below
Helena Trade to that point had pre-
viously been opened by the Treasury De-
partment. | give no permits to buy cot
ton, and if | find any one engaged in the
business send them out ofthe Depart
ment and seize their cotton for the Gov
ernment. | have given few families
take with them SO far as Memphis their
cotton. In doing this I have been de-
ceived by unprlncipled speculstors, who
have successfully smuggled themselves
along with the army in spite of orders
prohlbitin them, and have been compel
led to suspend this favor to persons anx-
ious to get out of Dixie. ...
| understand that Government has
adopted some plan to regulate getting the
cotton out of the country. | do not know
what plan they shave adopted, but | am
satisfied that any that can be adopted, ex-
cept for Government to take the cotton
themselves, and rule out Spectators al
together, VII be a bad one feel that all
army followers who are engaged in spec.
ulating off the misfoItunes Of their coun-
try, and really aiding the enemy more
than they could possibly do by open trea-
son, shon!d be drafted at once and put in
the first forlorn hope,
move my headquarters to New Car
thage tomorrow. The whole country is
under water, except strips Of land behind
the levees, along the rivers and bayous
and makes operations almost impossible.
[ struck upon plan which [ thought
would give me a foothold on the east
bank of the Mississippi before the enemy
could offer any great resistance. But the
difficulty of the last one and half miles
next to Carthage makes it so tedious that
the enemy cannot fail to discover my
plans. | am doing my best, and am full
Of hope for complete success. Time has
been consumed but it was absolutely i'm
possible to avoid it. An attack upon the
rebel works at any time 4since arrived
here must inevitably have resulted in the
loss of large portion of my army if not
in an entire defeat There were but tive
points Of land, Hanes Bluffs, and Vicks-
burg itself, out Of water at any place tlom
which oops could march. These are
thoroughly fortified and it would be folly tt
attack them as long as there is prospect
of turning their position. never expect
to have an army under my command
whipped unless 1t is very badly whipped
aud cant he lp it, but l have no idea q
being driven t6 do desperate or foolis
act by the howlings Of the press. 1t il
painful to me, as a matter of course, tt
see the course pursued by some of the pa
pers. But there is no one less disturbed
by them than myself. 1 never sought {
large command and have no ambition
ends to accomplish. Were it not for tn
very natural desire of proving mysel
equal to anything expected Of me, an,
the evidence my removal would d for,
that | was not thought equal to it,
would gladly accept u less responsible
position | have no desire to be an OF