The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-16
MILLIKES's BEND. La,
Anril 81 ISG3
DEAR FArnEn :-Your letter OF III

DEAR FATHER :-Your letter of the
9TH of April has just this day reached
me. i hasten to answer your interrO-
cations. When left Memphis, with
my past experience, prohibited trade
below Helena. Trade TO that point had
previously been opened by the Treas
ury Department. L gave no permits to
buy cotton, and II find any one en-
gagged in the business send them out
of the Department and seize their cot
ton for the Government. have given
a few families permission to leave the
country and to take with them so far
as Memphis their cotton. In doing this
have been deceived by unprincipled
SPECTATORS, who have successfully
smuggled themselves along with the
army in spite ofthe orders prohibiting
them, and have been compelled to sus-
pend this favor to persons anxious 10
get out of Dixie.
L understand that Government has
adopted some plan to regulate getting
the cotton out ofthe country. do not
know whit plan they have adopted,
but am satisfied that aAY that can be
adopted, except for Government to
take the cotton themselves, and rule
out spectators altogether, will be n
bad one. 1 feel all army followers who
are engaged in specializing off the mis-
fortunes of their country, and really
aiding the enemy more than they pos
COutA wv ny UPON
be drafted at once and put on the first
forlorn hope.
/ move my headquarters to New Chr
thage tomorrow. This whole country
is under water, except strips of land
behind the levees, along the river and
bayous, and makes operations almost
impossible. i struck upon plan which
thought would give me "a foothold on
the east bank Of the Mississippi before
the enemy could offer any great resist
ance. But the difficulty of the last
one and half miles next to Carthage
makes it so tedious that the enemy
cannot fail 10 discover my-plans.-
full of hope for complete sue
cess. Time has been consumed, shut
it was absolutely impossible to avoid it.
An attack upon the Rebel works at any
time since i arrived here must ineviLa-
bly, have resulted in the loss of a large
portion of my army, If not in an entire
defeat. There were but two points of
land, Haines Bluff and Vtcksburg itself,
out OF water at any place from which
troops could march. These are thor
oughly fortified, and 1t would be folly
to attack them as long as there Is a
prospect of turning their position. I
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 TO do a
desperate or foolish act by the howlings
of the press. 1t is painful to me, as a
matter of course, to see the course
pursued by some of the papers.
But there is no one less disturbed by
them than myself. have never sought
a large command, and have no ambiti-
GUS ends to accomplish. We're 1t not
for the very natural desire of proving
myself equal to anything expected of
me, and the evidence my removal
would afford that / was not thought
equal to 1t, would gladly accept less
responsible position. I have no desire
to De an object OF envy or jealousy, nor
to have this war continue. Iwant, 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 APP
proval of my course.
1 beg that you will destroy this let
ter: at least. do not show il,
Julia and the children are here, but
win go up by the first good boat.
sent for her to come down and get in
structions about some business I want
attended to, and see no immediate pros
pect of attending 70 myself,
ULYSSES,