The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-01
GRIERSON'S RAID.

damage OF highly meritorious volunteer
officers.-S. M. Howard"
GRIERSON's RAID.
1t Was Not Merely n Successful Cayalry
swoOp, but Grand Military COnccp-
tion' and Insured Grants Success.
Editor National Tribune: Grierson's
raid has been written up a great many
tunes and extolled as a daring and won
derfully-successful raid; but never. so
lar as know, have it's real purpose and
accomplishments been brought out. nor
ITS inception and authorization. With
out undertaking to write its history
allow me to correct your description of
us origin. 1t was not in any sense con-
celVed, originated or ordered by Gen
,. A. Hurlbut, but was part of Grants
comprehensive plan for taking Vicks-
burg, and 1 may safely say a funda
mental part.
During The Winter and Spring pre-
cedlng May 1. 1868, the problem that
confronted Grant was how to transfer
ms army from the Swamps west of the
mississippi River to dry ground on the
VlcKsburg side of the river. His own
words, winch you quOte-words spoken
AFTER the achievement of the object
show this. viz: "All the campaigns Ia
bors, hardships and exposures from the
month of December previous to this
time that had been made and endured
were for the accomplishment of this one
object"
The engineering capacity of the army
and navy had been exhausted in efforts
10 fnd or make a channel whereby his
army might be transported by boats to
nigh ground on the Vicksburg side of
the river, either on the Yazoo above
Hayness Bluff or on the Mississippi be-
low WarrentOn Long before these ex-
plorations ceased Grant had apparently
given up hope Of success by them. and
In the inscrutable, secret resources of
MS own mind was arranging the cam
pa1gn as eventually carried out. He
could not confer or advise either with
his superiors at Washington or his most
trusted subordinates. He fully realized
all the dangers you describe of a con-
cehlra1on of the enemy to meet him
on DISCRIMINATING, and destroy his army
Inat contingency must be safely pro-
vided for. How? Let us see. Mind
you, the thought was in Grants mind
and In no other mind. The thought
was, How can Pembertons forces be
scattered TO distant parts beyond the
possibility of concentrating in time TO
prevent my crossing?"
On the 18th day of February, note
the date, two months before an inkline
was given OF his purpose, Grant wrote
a letter to Gen. ). A. Hurlbut, COM
handing the Sixteenth Corps Ga part of
Grants army, located at Memphis, in
winch were these words: 1T seems to
me that Grierson. with about 500 picked
men. might succeed i'm cutting his way
south and cut the Vicksburg & Meridian
Railroad at some point east of Jack
son." Adding: ut would be hazard
Gus undertaking, but would pay well If
successful"
1t happened there had recently been
some conference between Gen. Hurlbut
and his next in rank, Gen. Hamilton.
located at Corinth, about the advisable
" OF sending cavalry expedition south
of Corinth to clear his front, and acting
on this suggestion Gen. Hurlbut wrote
To Gen. Grant (see official records) tell
ing him that, acting on his suggestion,
he had ordered - (nOt Grierson, but
another ofiicer) to make the raid, and
among other impossible things to de
stroy the bridge across Pearl River at
Jackson and the railroad bridge over
the Black River"
1t is easy to see Hurlbut had no ap-
probation of Grants purpose; for, in
stead OF scattering Pembertoh's forces.
this, If successful, would have concen-
trated them exactly where Grant did
not want them. Grant Immediately
cOuntermanded Hurlbut's orders for the
expedition (see official records), told
him the expedition must go, command
ed by GriersOn, and he (Grant) would
indicate the time of starting. And find
ing that GriersOn was entirely willing
to undertake the hazardous undertake
ing" he was told to hold himself and
command in readiness to go when nOti-
fed. The indication of the time came
on April 16, with orders to start at day
light on the morning of the 18th.
l have no intention Of writing an ac-
count of the wonderful raid, in which
participated from start to finish, but
want 1t understood it was Grants in
Yention-was fundamental part Of
Grants campaign as much running
the transports past the batteries OF
Vicksburg, and that it accomplished it's
purpose.
One very wise thing Gen. Hurlbut did
do that, so far as / have been able to
discover. he Is entitled to the whole
credit Of. The Tallahatchie River, which
as far east as Lagrange Is about SO miles
from the Memphis & Charleston Rail-
road. was the Confederate line To
make it possible for Grierson to break
through that line Hurlbut sent a COM
mand under Gen. VIM. Sooy Smith to
the Tallahatchie via Holly Springs, and
another from Memphis to the Coldwater
via fernando, to engage the Confeder-
ates attention while Grierson crossed
at Rocky Ford.
day of his march. and on that day Penn
berton ordered all cavalry north Of the
VickSburg & Meridian Railroad to re-
port to Gems. Ruggles and Chalmers,
each Of whom commanded District In
northern Mississippi. He ordered Gen.
Featherston, whom Gems. Quinby and
w. IT, Sherman had failed to dislodge
from Fort PembertOn, to be ready to
march instantly to Duck Hill or WinOna
Gen. Tilghman, who commanded a bril-
gade at Canton, was ordered to move
Immediately to Winona. Gen. Bufords
Division. which had been loaned to
Bragg, and was then returning to Vicks-
burg via Mobile, was ordered to stop at
Meridian and guard all points on the
Mobile & Ohio Railroad as far north as
West Point and Columbus. If Grants
Adjutant had written Pemberton's or
ders they could not have more fully
accorded with his plans nor fulfilled his
desires. This on the third day Later
Gen. w. w. Loring was sent with what
Pemberton calls large body of in
fantry" to Enterprise to protect Gov.
eminent property there, and Gen.
Adams was sent east from somewhere
near Jackson. After Grierson had cut
the railroad east OF Newton and Penn
berton heard Grant WAS at Hard Times
he almost moved heaven and earth to
get these troops back to Bowen at or
near Grand Gulf. but without success,
and this Is how 1t happened that Grant
got to Port Gibson with $4,000 men and
found Bowen with only $500 to meet