Page 226
To Stephen A. Hurlbut1Jump to section
Memphis Tenn. May 22. 1863
We have news here in the Richmond newspapers of 20th. & 21st. including a despatch from Gen. Joe Johnson himself, that on 15th. or 16th. (a little confusion as to the day) Grant beat Pemberton & Loring2Jump to section near Edwards' Station, at the end of a nine hours fight, driving Pemberton over the Big Black & cutting Loring off, & driving him South to Chrystal-Springs 25 miles below Jackson. Joe Johnson telegraphed all this, except about Loring, from his camp between Brownsville & Lexington, on the 18th. Another despatch indicates that Grant was moving against Johnson on the 18th.
A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, RPB. Hurlbut replied on May 23:
``I forward the following, just received from Col. John A. Rawlins, assistant adjutant-general, rear of Vicksburg, 20th:
`` `The Army of the Tennessee landed at Bruinsburg on 30th April.
`` `On 1st May, fought battle of Port Gibson; defeated rebels under [John S.] Bowen, whose loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners was at least 1,500; loss in artillery, five pieces.
`` `On 12th May, at the battle of Raymond, rebels were defeated, with a loss of 800.
`` `On the 14th, defeated Joseph E. Johnston, captured Jackson, with loss to the enemy of 400, besides immense stores and manufactories, and seventeen pieces artillery.
`` `On the 16th, fought the bloody and decisive battle of Baker's Creek, in which the entire Vicksburg force, under [John C.] Pemberton, was defeated, with loss of twenty-nine pieces of artillery and 4,000 men.
`` `On the 17th, defeated same force at Big Black Bridge, with loss of 2,600 men and eleven pieces of artillery.
`` `On the 18th, invested Vicksburg closely. To-day General [Frederick] Steele carried the rifle-pits on the north of the city. The right of the army rests on the Mississippi above Vicksburg.'
``I learn further that there are from 15,000 to 20,000 men in Vicksburg, and that Pemberton lost nearly all his field artillery; that the cannonading at Vicksburg ceased about 3 p.m. of 20th. Grant has probably captured nearly all.'' (OR, I, XXIV, III, 344).
[2] William W. Loring.