General Joseph E. Johnston, Narrative of Military Operations During the Civil War

If it be true that General Taylor has joined General [564] Gardner and routed Banks, you will endeavor to draw heavy reinforcements from that army, and delay a general engagement until your junction is effected. Thus, it is hoped, the enemy may yet be crushed, and the late disaster be repaired.

Send by telegraph a list of the general and staff officers who have come out on parole from Vicksburg, so that they may be exchanged immediately. As soon as practicable, let the lists of regiments and other organizations be forwarded for same purpose. General Rains should now apply his invention.

The enemy is advancing in two columns on Jackson, now about four miles distant. I shall endeavor to hold the place, as the possession of Mississippi depends on it. His force is about double ours.

Your dispatch of yesterday received. No report of General Taylor's junction with Gardner has reached me, as it must have done, if true, for we have twelve hundred cavalry in that vicinity. I have nothing official from Vicksburg.

(A list of paroled Vicksburg officers follows.)

Under General Pemberton's orders, a line of rifle-pits was constructed from the Canton road, at Colonel Withers's house, a few hundred yards from the railroad-depot, and going to the New Orleans Railroad, a thousand yards south. It is very defective, cannot stand siege, but improves a bad position against assault. I thought that want of water [565] would compel this; but the enemy has made no attempt, but skirmished all day yesterday. Should he not assault, we must attack him or leave the place. Prisoners say these are Ord's and Sherman's corps, and three other divisions. Their right is near the Raymond road, their left on Pearl River, opposite Insane Asylum.

Dispatch of this day received, and remarks on intrenched position noted. Though late to attempt improvement, every effort should be made to strengthen the line of defense, and compel the enemy to assault.

Beauregard and Bragg are both threatened — the former now engaged with the enemy. We are entitled to discharge of paroled prisoners, and the War Department will spare no effort to promptly secure it.

The importance of your position is apparent, and you will not fail to employ all available means to insure success.

I have too little knowledge of your circumstances to be more definite, and have exhausted my power to aid you.

Your dispatch of 11th received. A heavy cannonade this morning for two hours from batteries east of the Canton and south of the Clinton roads. The enemy's rifles reached all parts of the town, showing the weakness of the position and its untenableness against a powerful artillery.

Breckenridge's front, south of the town, was assaulted this morning, but not vigorously. A party of skirmishers of the First, Third, and Fourth Florida, Forty-seventh Georgia, and Cobb's battery, took the enemy in flank, and [566] captured two hundred prisoners and the colors of the Twenty-eighth, Forty-first, and Fifty-third Illinois regiments. Heavy skirmishing all day yesterday.

Your dispatch of the 11th received.

I think Grant will keep the Vicksburg prisoners until operations here are ended. He may be strongly reinforced from Port Hudson. If the position and works were not bad, want of stores, which could not be collected, would make it impossible to stand siege. If the enemy will not attack, we must, or at the last moment withdraw. We cannot attack without seriously risking the army. But it is difficult to yield this vital point without a struggle. In afternoon of 11th the enemy extended his right to Pearl River.

We learn from Vicksburg that a large force lately left that place to turn us on the north. This will compel us to abandon Jackson. The troops before us have been intrenching, and erecting batteries ever since their arrival.

The enemy will not attack, but has intrenched. Is evidently making a siege, which we cannot resist. It would be madness to attack him. In the beginning it might have been done. But I thought then that want of water would compel him to attack us. It is reported by some of its officers who were here yesterday, and by some gentlemen of Brandon, that the Vicksburg garrison is diminishing rapidly. Incessant but slight cannonading kept up; our loss, in killed and wounded, about three hundred and fifty. The remainder [567] of the army under Grant at Vicksburg is, beyond doubt, on its way to this place.

The enemy being strongly reenforced, and able, when he pleases, to cut us off, I shall abandon this place, which it is impossible for us to hold.

Jackson was abandoned last night. The troops are now moving through this place to encamp three miles to the east. Those officers who have seen the Vicksburg troops think that they cannot be kept together. General Pemberton thinks the best policy is to furlough them by regiments.

Your dispatch of yesterday received, informing me of your retreat from Jackson toward the east. I desire to know your ulterior purpose. The enemy may not pursue, but move up the Central road to lay waste the rich country toward Tennessee, and cooperate afterward with Rosecrans. Another column, Eastern Louisiana being abandoned, may be sent from New Orleans to attack Mobile on the land side.

The recommendation to furlough the paroled troops from Vicksburg offers a hard alternative under the pressure of our present condition.

Immediately after our return to Jackson after its occupation by the forces under General Grant, I was ordered by General Johnston to furnish the Southern Railroad authorities [568] all the means within the power of my department to rebuild the bridge across Pearl River, and repair the railroad-track beyond it. I at once assigned Major George Whitfield, then on duty with me (afterward assigned to the important duty of repairs of railroads destroyed by the enemy), to this special duty. Negroes in large numbers were impressed, sufficient transportation afforded, materials furnished, and mechanics and skilled laborers employed, and placed under control of the railroad authorities. The work was vigorously prosecuted, and would have been completed in a few days but for the occupation by the forces under General Sherman.