commanding District of West Louisiana, has been directed to give you every assistance in his power. You can therefore consult with him in carrying out your plans. The staff officers designated by yourself can all accompany you, except Colonel Brent and Major Mason. Their services are too essentially necessary in the administration of the District of West Louisiana to admit of their being dispensed with. MajorGeneral Walker, commanding District of West Louisiana, and Brigadier-General Thomas, commanding the brigade of exchanged Vicksburg prisoners, report the condition of that brigade so reduced in numbers and so disorganized that it is not effective for service. To attempt its crossing would be a serious loss of men and be detrimental to the interests of the service. Many of the men have not been exchanged and are not in camp. It is but a few days since notification was received of the exchange of any portion of the brigade. Under these circumstances I shall retain the brigade in the department, continue the collection and organization of the men, and when effected (if the necessities of our armies there require it) will order it across the river to your command. I have ordered the Crescent Regiment, stationed at Shreveport, immediately down, and believe it will join you before the crossing is effected. This regiment is large and will render you as much service as the disorganized command of General Thomas could possibly have done. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. KIRBY SMITH, General. HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Maj. Gen. J. G. WALKER, Commanding &c.: Alexandria, August 7, 1864. GENERAL: I inclose a copy of a letter to Lieut. Gen. R. Taylor with regard to the crossing of the troops under his command. I desire you to select four batteries of light artillery to accompany General Taylor's column, and suggest that the selection be made from the following batteries: Nettles' Valverde Battery, H. C. West's Arkansas battery, Boone's Louisiana battery, Gibson's Texas battery, Benton's Louisiana battery, Cornay's Louisiana battery. The four batteries selected to be commanded by a major of artillery. You will perceive from my letter to General Taylor that I have directed the immediate crossing of the troops. The collection of material and the preparations necessary for throwing a bridge across the Mississippi River necessi tate a delay of at least thirty days, and I believe is of doubtful success This delay would neutralize any good results which might come from the crossing of this column. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. KIRBY SMITH, General. [Inclosure No. 16.] ALEXANDRIA, August 8, 1864. General E. KIRBY SMITH, Commanding Trans-Mississippi Department: GENERAL: Your communication of 7th instant was received las night. The importance of the expedition in crossing the infantry ha See next, ante. fully impressed itself upon me, but the means of effecting it and the necessary co-operation of other forces within this district are beyond my control. On the 10th of June I was relieved from the command of the District of West Louisiana and ordered by you to Natchitoches to "await the pleasure of the President of the Confederate States." On the 18th of July, six weeks after I was relieved by you, the order for me to cross the river and assume command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana was issued from the War Department, evidently under the belief that I was in command of the District of West Louisiana or commanding a corps. Your order directing me to take command of the two infantry divisions reached me at Natchitoches on the 28th of July. From the date of my being relieved until the receipt of those orders I had no means of ascertaining the disposition of all our or the enemy's forces on or near the Mississippi River, the points at which the enemy's gun-boats were lying, and such other necessary facts as would enable me at once to fix upon suitable places for crossing. Although the orders from the War Department contemplated that I was in command, I can perceive nothing therein which instructs that the troops should "cross under my orders," and that "I should conduct the operation of crossing in person." So long as the command is within this department it is subject to your orders, and without dispositions made by you as commanding general I am powerless to effect anything. Simply to cross the men is but a portion of the movement; to subsist and transport them to localities where their presence and services are needed involve the most important features. There is but one railroad in the State of Mississippi in use by our authorities, and that lies east of Pearl River, its western terminus being quite a hundred miles distant from the Mississippi. While Lieutenant-General Lee states that he will establish depots of supplies, such depots can only be available if they are convenient to the points of crossing, and it might happen that those points would be an hundred miles from the supplies, as the movements of the enemy's forces along the river and of the gun-boats would influence the crossing, and places previously selected would be liable to interference by the enemy at the very moment when the movement at a particular point was about to be undertaken, and thus render an immediate change necessary. Co-operation between the two sides of the river is therefore of the highest importance, and a full understanding with General Lee can alone insure the establishment of supplies at convenient and accessible localities. I had the honor to submit to you several days ago, with an indorsement of my entire approval thereof, the plan of Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas, which I consider the most practicable one which can be adopted. I have not heard from you on that subject. In accordance with your instructions I furnished you on the 28th of July with the names of the staff officers whom I desired to report to me. Only last night I received your answer asserting that a portion of those named and needed by me should be assigned. I have been without staff officers necessary to enable me to make even the requisite prelimiHary arrangements, and but for the kindness of Major-General Walker, who has allowed me to use a portion of his staff, I should have been entirely without any such assistance. Major Mason, my former chief commissary, whose services are almost indispensable and upon which I relied, you refuse to allow me. No other commissary is assigned to ine, and none could be so useful to me as this officer. Colonel Brent also, who has been on my staff for two years, and for whom I made application, is withheld. Both these officers share my earnest desire to have them ordered to report to me. If the troops are to be used in the crisis to which you allude in your letter of yesterday, and if Atlanta, is the "scene of action" to which you refer, the distance to be accom plished, even after they cross the river, would render it necessary for adequate arrangements to be made on the other side of the Missis sippi as well as on this to insure rapidity of movement and preserve the efficiency of the men, so that they could arrive in time and in condition for the performance of the services required of them. With this view, therefore, I applied in a former communication for permission to cross at once to the other side, where I could assume command of the department as directed by the War Department and hasten all the necessary arrangements. This permission having been refused by you I am without knowledge of the location and number of our forces on the other side, and as to the assistance which they can give to a column of infantry marching over so extensive a country. For the reason stated the troops whose co-operation is necessary to insure the success of the movement being beyond my control, the plan of crossing being devised by yourself, the necessary provision for subsistence and transportation, when the troops do cross, not being made, and being myself powerless under your instructions to remedy these vital deficiencies, I deem it proper to state to you that while I shall, to the best of my ability, carry out the instructions contained in your communication of yesterday, I do not deem myself responsible either for the failure or success of the undertaking which you direct. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. TAYLOR, Lieut. S. F. CHIPLEY: RICHMOND, VA., August 8, 1864. (For General E. Kirby Smith.) Your dispatch of 30th July, 1864, received, and after inquiries can find no record of a telegram ordering you to send General Taylor and infantry from the Trans-Mississippi Department across the Mississippi River. No such order was ever given by me, though propositions to follow enemy's movements from your department were referred to your discretion in terms which implied the expectation you would do all which was consistent with the duties of your position. You had not com municated the purpose to commence offensive operations in Arkansas and Missouri, and no indications of it had reached me. I do not now perceive how the success of a movement, the arrangement for which you say had been perfected, could depend on infantry which was below the Lower Red River. Be that as it may, you must expect frequent diversity of views unless fuller information is given. I directed General S. D. Lee to keep you informed, so as having cointelligence there might be the more effective co-operation. If our forces succeed on the east side they will make easy the plans for the west side of the Missis sippi. If our forces on the west side of the river should allow the enemy to leave that section, and by concentrating defeat those on the east side, your projected campaign could not fail to end in disaster. This was so obvious that I expected you to act without waiting for orders, so as to counteract the movement he was reported to be making with the troops you had lately defeated. Your recommendation i reference to General Buckner has been referred to War Department. JEFF'N DAVIS. General B. BRAGG, Richmond, Va.: CLINTON, August 10, 1864. Two divisions of infantry, Taylor's corps within striking distance of river. Boats preparing. Time and place of crossing not fully decided upon. Forty pontoons on this side ready to move to point indicated. Much difficulty in the movement anticipated. General Taylor wishes his staff to come with him. Asks that Wharton with four cavalry brigades be brought across. Suggests that another division infantry now in Arkansas (he says) also come. THOMAS BUTLER. General BRAGG: CLINTON, LA., August 11, 1864. (Via Mobile.) I have just received dispatch, dated 3d instant, from General Taylor, directing me to learn whether it is contemplated that he shall cross the river should it be found impracticable to cross the troops; also whether you desire that he should precede the troops to this side. W. STEVENS, [Inclosure No. 17.] Captain, &c. HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Lieut. Gen. R. TAYLOR, Commanding, &c.: GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 8th instant. My letter written to you in Alexandria expresses clearly my views and the necessity for crossing immediately the Mississippi with the troops under your command. The inclosed Copies of dispatches from Generals Maury and Liddell are additional evidences of this necessity. The plan submitted and approved by you in your letter of August 8 for bridging the Mississippi is simply impracticable and visionary. It necessitates the concentration of engineer troops from Arkansas and Texas-virtually the establishment of a navyyard at Shreveport and building of boats. It makes requisition for material on the city of Houston, Tex., which in all probability will have to be imported. Under the most favorable circumstances it requires preparations, the collection of materials, and construction that would necessitate the delay of at least two months, and might fairly convey the impression that we were endeavoring to evade the order directing the crossing of the troops. You certainly could not have carefully examined the plan proposed or you would not have approved and recommended a course which detains indefinitely the troops here, while the campaign east of the Mississippi, in which they were to participate, has already reached a crisis. In my letter of July 31 the whole disposable force of the district was placed under your control through General Walker, its commander. The point and mode of crossing were left to your own judgment. It was only suggested instead of sending the cavalry on a distant expedition toward New Orleans they, with artillery, should be used to cover the crossing by holding points above and be low the point selected. In my letter of the 31st I authorized you to seld members of your staff east of the Mississippi for the purpose of See Maury to Liddell and Liddell to Hart, August 5, p. 99. obtaining information and making provision for your troops. Your experience on the Mississippi, your knowledge of the country, and your personal interest in the success of the movement, make you the proper officer to command, even had the dispatches from the War Department not so directed. The list of staff officers furnished by you, whom you desired might accompany you east of the river, was carefully considered by me in the intention of being liberal and with the desire of comply. ing with your wishes; but two on the list were objected to-Major Mason and Colonel Brent. Their services are too indispensably neces sary, without inflicting serious injury upon the interests of the District of West Louisiana. As an evidence of my liberality I made no objec tion to either of the five adjutant-generals whose names were on that list, viz, Colonel Levy, Major Surget, Captain Elgee, Captain May, and Captain Watt. General S. D. Lee has, I believe, gone to Atlanta. The inclosed copies of dispatches would indicate that General Maury commands the department and is besieged at Mobile. General Liddell. immediately commanding the district opposite to you, is at Clinton. You can communicate with him and obtain his co-operation. I again urge upon you the necessity of promptly crossing the force under your command; at least, the attempt should be made. If there is any unnecessary delay the authorities at Richmond can judge where the fault lies and upon whom the responsibility rests. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant. The change in the movement of the two brigades ordered to Arkansas may endanger us in that district, but as the successful crossing of the Mississippi by General Taylor's column is of the highest importance, I will adopt the change in the disposition of the troops made by yourself. I desire nothing to be done that will hazard the success of General Taylor's movement across the Missis sippi. You will have the two brigades of Major's division prepared. so that they can march to Arkansas as soon as the movement of Gen eral Taylor has been accomplished. General Bagby should command. That will probably be the most important theater of operations, and a good officer should march in command of the troops. I inclose you a copy of a letter* to-day written to General Taylor. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. KIRBY SMITH, General. General BRAXTON BRAGG, CLINTON, LA., August 12, 1864. Richmond, Va.: GENERAL: I was unable to communicate fully with you by telegran as I could not do so in cipher, and I was advised, for prudent reason: |