Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-09-22
A Letter from General Grant

The following letter, never befor
Published, vas furnished to the New
York Tribune by q gentleman VIII,
had preserved it in book of auto.
graphs. 1t was written by Genera
Grant TO his father during the Vicks
burg campaign. 1t is fortunate tina
so excellent a letter was not destroy.
ed
MILIkEN's BEND, LA, April 81, 1863
DEAR FATHER Your letter Of
The 7th of April has just this day
reached me. | hasten to answer
your interrogations. w hen | left
Memphis, with my past experience,
prohibited trade below Helena.
Trade to that point had previously
been opened by the Treasury Depart
ment. give no permits to permits
to buy cotton, and if find any one
engaged in the business | send them
out OF the department and seize their
cotton for the government / have
given few families permission 10
leave the country, and TO take with
them. 50 far as Memphis, their cot
ton. In. doing this | have been de-
ceived by unprincip cd spectators,
who have successfully smuggled
themselves along with the army in
spite Of orders prohibiting them, and
have been compelled to suspend this
favor 10 persons anxious 10 get out
Of Dixie,
understand the owe 'nment has
adopted some plan to regulate get.
ting the cotton out Of the country.
| do not know what plan they have
adopted, except for government to
take the cotton themselves, and rule
out spectators altogether, will be a
bad one. L think all army followers
who are engaged in specializing off
the misfortunes Of their country, and
really aiding the enemy more than
they possibly could do by open trea
son, should be drafted at once and
put in the first forlorn hope.
move my headquarters to New
Carthage TO morrow. This whole
country is under water, except strips
OF land behind the levees, along the
river and bayous, and makes opera
tons almost impossible. ] struck
upon q plan which | thought would
give me u 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 10 Carthage makes
it SO tedious that the enemy cannot
TAIL to discover my plans. | am do
ing 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 up
on the rebel works at any time since
| arrived here must inevitably have
resulted in the loss of q large portion
Of my army, if not in an entire de-
feat. There were but two points of
land, Haines' Bluff and Vicksburg it
self out Of water at any place from
which troops could march. These
are thoroughly fortified, and it
would be folly TO attack them as long
as there is prospect Of turning their
position. | never expect to have an
army under my command whipped
unless it is very badly whipped and
can't help it, but | have no idea OF
being driven 10 do a desperate or
foolish act by the howlings IF the
press 1t is painful to me, as !: mat
ter of course, to see the course pur-
sued by some of the papers. But
there is no one less disturbed by hem
than myself. | have never sought a
large command, and have no ambi-
tious ends to accomplish. Were it
not for the very natural desir3 OF
proving myself equal to anything
expected OF me, and the evidence OF
my removal would afford that / was
not thought equal to it, would glad
ly accept less responsible position.
| have no desire to be an object OF
envy or jealousy, nor to have this
war continue. | want, and will! do
my part toward it, to put down the
rebellion in the shortest possible
time, without expecting or desiring
any other recognition than quiet
approved of my course.
beg thai you will destroy this
letter ut least, 10 not show it.
Julia and the children are here
but will go up by the first good boat
| sent for her to come down and get
Instructions about some business ]
want attended to, and see on imme
date prospect of attending to my
self.
IJIYSSEs