Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[250] plan of campaign of the enemy was utterly foiled, his delay of seven weeks, and vast expenditures, were of little value, and he has reached Corinth to find it a barren locality, which he must abandon as wholly worthless for his purposes.

I have the honor to be, respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

P. S.--My effective force on the morning of the evacuation, thirtieth May, 1862, did not exceed forty-seven thousand men of all arms; that of the enemy, obtained from the best source of information, could not have been less than ninety thousand men of all arms.

Special Orders, No. 30.

I. Captain Mauldin, commanding company cavalry at Bear Creek bridge, will hold his command in readiness to move at a moment's notice towards Baldwin or Guntown on the M. and O. R. R. He will, when orders to remove are received, thoroughly destroy all bridges, both of railroads and ordinary roads, on Bear Creek and its tributaries, and all bridges on his line of march. Should the enemy force him to fall back, before orders to do so have been received, he will burn all bridges as above instructed.

II. The commanding officer of the cavalry on and near the Tennessee River, will, if compelled by the enemy to fall back, move in the direction of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, or Columbus, Mississippi.

II. The commanding officer of cavalry, at or near Rienzi, will follow the movements of the army when they pass Rienzi, with his entire force.

IV. The commanding officer of the cavalry forces at or near Jacinto will report at once, in person to General Van Dorn, for orders, and will, until further orders, receive all of his orders from General Van Dorn.

V. The commanding officer of the troops at Chewalla and Cypress will hold their commands in readiness to move on short notice, by the most direct route, to Kossuth. When commencing this movement, they will thoroughly destroy the Cypress bridge, and all the railroad and mud road bridges in their rear, and all bridges that might be of service to the enemy; they will take their artillery with them, and on reaching Kossuth, will follow up the general movement of the army and protect its rear.

VI. The commanding officer of the cavalry at Pocahontas will hold his command in readiness to move on short notice to Ripley. On commencing the move, he will destroy all the railroad and mud road bridges in his rear, and all other bridges that may be of service to the enemy will be destroyed. He will take all of his artillery with him, and move from Ripley to Pontotoc, and will protect the rear of the forces moving in that direction.

When at Ripley, he will communicate with general headquarters at Baldwin, for orders.

By order of Brigadier-General W. N. R. Beall.

the following memorandum is furnished to General Bragg, for the intended movement of his army from this place to Baldwin, at the time hereinafter indicated:

1. Hardee's corps will move on the direct road from his position to Danville, by Cleburn's camp, which lies on the east of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, part of the way, thence to Rienzi and to Baldwin.

2. Bragg's corps, via the turnpike to Kossuth, until it reaches the south side of the Tuscumbia, thence by the Rienzi and Black Land road to Carrollsville and Baldwin.

3. Breckinridge's corps, (or reserve,) via the turnpike to Kossuth, thence to Black Land, Carrollsville, and Baldwin.

4. Polk's corps, via the turnpike to Kossuth, thence by the Western road to Black Land, Carrollsville, and Baldwin.

5. The baggage train of these corps must leave their position at twelve M., precisely, on the twenty-eighth instant, and stop for the night on the south side of the Tuscumbia, on the best available ground. The provision trains will follow the baggage trains.

6. The ammunition and ambulance trains must be parked at the most convenient point to their brigades, and moved in rear of the provision trains to the south side of the Tuscumbia, where they will await further orders. All of these trains are to be accompanied by one pioneer company and two infantry companies, properly distributed per brigade. The brigade and regimental quartermaster must accompany and be responsible for their trains.

7. The officers in charge of the baggage trains will receive sealed orders as to their point of destination, which they will open at the first-mentioned stopping-place.

8. As it may become necessary to take the offensive, the troops will take their position in the trenches, as soon as practicable, after disposing of their baggage in the wagon trains. One brigade per corps will be put in line of battle, in the best position for the offensive, in front of the trenches. The reserve will remain in position as already indicated to its General commanding. These troops will all bivouac in position, and at three o'clock A. M., on the twenty-ninth instant, if not attacked by the enemy, will take up their line of march to Baldwin by the routes indicated in Article I., leaving properly distributed cavalry pickets in front of their lines to guard and protect this retrograde movement. These pickets