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134 6. Grierson’s Raid On February 3, [1863,] I was ordered to Memphis to confer with General Hurlbut relative to [an] expedition southward into Mississippi.1 While there, I received some maps and other papers giving information of the country over which the contemplated march would probably be made. I also arranged for the pay of my command for the two months ending August 31, 1862. I returned to La Grange on February 4, and on the 5th received pay for July and August 1862, amounting to 449.10, all of which was sent home, excepting enough to pay to William Fitch of Memphis the money he had kindly loaned me in an emergency. On February 8, I received a letter from Governor Yates of Illinois, advising me that he had strongly recommended my promotion to brigadier general of volunteers. I was also advised that Generals Prentiss, Grant, and Hurlbut had, or would, forward like recommendations for my advancement . Nearly every officer of higher rank of my acquaintance told me that I was justly entitled to promotion for services rendered during the fall campaign in Mississippi. It was gratifying to have them think me deserving of the place, even if the appointment should not be conferred upon me at the time. On February 9, General Sherman, from his camp before Vicksburg, wrote to the secretary of war as follows: I take pleasure in inviting your attention to the services of Colonel B. H. Grierson, 6th Illinois Cavalry, now commanding a brigade of cavalry back of Memphis. During the time of my command there I had the 6th Illinois Cavalry Regiment, the only cavalry near, and Colonel Grierson by his rapid, intelligent and decisive movements beat the enemy in every case and compelled them to keep a full day’s march distant. I cannot now enumerate the instances but recall two, one on the Coldwater and another from Wolf River over to Randolph. Although the expeditions were not of sufficient magnitude to call for special reports yet they made the enemy fear “Grierson’s Cavalry.” General Grant has spoken to me in high terms of Colonel Grierson who had served near him since I left the regi- Grierson’s Raid • 135 ment at Oxford, Mississippi, in December. I consequently endorse his claims for promotion to Brigadier General of Volunteers.2 In enclosing a copy of the foregoing letter to me, the general writes: General Grant speaks to me in the highest terms of you and rati- fies all I have written, so you have the good will of your late and present commanders. You have seen that the newspapers are after me again and the correspondents admit that they must write me down because I am the inveterate enemy of their class. I certainly do consider them as much the enemy of the United States as the secesh and a great deal more contemptible. The former, the secesh, openly take up arms and declare hostility, the latter publish all they can to keep the enemy advised of our plans, purposes and designs and also enter our camps as spies, sowing sedition and ill feeling. It was and is all nonsense that our troops were demoralized . As usual, many get tired of the war when they hear the whistle of the bullet and put it off on any popular excuse. We are now laying on shore, digging canals, and trying to turn the channel of the Mississippi, but sooner or later we must get on to the high dry land and fight it out.3 Timely and frequent requisitions had been made for everything necessary to fully reequip my command and every effort possible taken to secure fresh horses, arms, and equipments as were needed, but great delay had arisen in their delivery. The troops were very destitute of clothing and the men were growing very impatient at its non-receipt. The weather was simply abominable and, altogether, it had been a very gloomy winter. It still continued to rain nearly every day and the sun seldom shone. There were many cases of small-pox in the command, besides more than usual of other sickness. The hospitals were filling up and it was thought that, unless the weather soon cleared, one-half of the soldiers in the command would soon be on the sick report. Under all the circumstances, I came about as near having the blues as I wished to, and a trifle nearer, and earnestly...

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