Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-09-26
LETTER FROM GEN. GRANT

The following letter has been placed in
our hands by gentleman who furnishes it
from collection of autographs. 1t was
written by Major Gen. Grant, to his father
from Millken's Bend, La, during the Vicks-
burg campaign. We print it just as it is,
word for word. We have no hesitation in
saying that more remarkable document,
and one that reflects more credit upon the
illustrious writer, has not before been given
to the American people.
MILL1KEN's BEND, La, April 21, 1868.
DEAR FATHER Your letter of the 9TH of
April has Just this day reached me. l has
ten to answer your iEterrogations. When |
left Memphis, with my past experience, /
prohibited trade below Helena. Trade to
that point had previously been opened by
the Treasury Department, give no permits
to buy cotton, and if find any one engaged
in the business l send them out of the De.
partment and seize their cotton for the Gov
ernment. / have given few families per-
mission to leave the country and to take
with them so far as Memphis their cotton.
In doing this have been deceived by un-
principled speculatiors, who have success.
fully smuggled themselves along with the
army in spite of orders prohibiting them,
and have been compelled to suspend this
favor to persons anxious to get out of Dixie.
/ understand TIA. Government has adopt
ed some plan to regulate getting the cotton
out of the country. l do not know what
plan they have adopted, but ain satisfied
that any that can be adopted, except for
Government to take the cotton themselves,
and rule out spectators altogether, will be
a bad one. feel all army followers, who
are engaged in speculating of the misfor-
tunes of their country, and really aiding the
enemy more than they possibly could do by
open treason, should be drafted at once and
put in the first forlorn hope.
l move my headquarters TO New. Car.
thage to morrow. This whole country is
the levees, along the river and bayous, and
makes operations almost impossible. l
struck upon plan which l thought would
give me 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. l am doing my
best, and am full of hope for complete sue.
cess. Time has been consumed, but it was
absolutely impossible to avoid it. An Mt
tack upon the Rebel works at any time since
| arrived here must inevitably have resulted
in the loss of large portion of my army, if
not in an entire defeat. There were but
Two points of land, Haines Bluff and Nicks.
burg itself, 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 propect
! of turning their position. I never expect
to have an army under my command whip
ped unless it is very badly whipped and
can't help it, but have no idea of being
driven to do a desperate or fooling 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 my.
self. l have never sought large command
and have no ambitious ends to accomplish.
| Were it not for the very natural desire oil
proving myself equal to anything expected
! of me, and the evidence my removal would
afford that | was not thought equal to it, !
would gladly accept a less responsible posi-
ton. ! have no desire to be an object ol
envy or jealousy nor to have this war con.
tinue. want, and will do my part toward
/ it to put down tie rebellion in the shortest
/ possible time, without expecting or desiring
any other recognition than quiet approva
of my course.
l beg that you will destroy this letter. al
least, do not show it.
Julia and the children are here, but vii
| go up by the first good boat sent for he
to come down and get instructions abou
some business want attended to. and SCI
no immediate prospect OF attending to my
! self. Ulysses.