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guinary character. Officers and men alike behaved with most distinguished gallantry, and although the enemy numbered about forty thousand, and their opponents not more than half that number, they were beaten back with terrific slaughter, and fled from the field, leaving their dead and wounded. The rebel loss in killed, wounded and prisoners was nearly ten thousand; our own not much more than one-fifth that enormous aggregate, while among other captures we secured nearly four thousand stand of arms, two pieces of artillery, and fourteen stand of colors.

The services of his army in this second great battle were thus officially recognized by General Grant:

"HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF WEST TENN., "JACKSON, TENN., October 7th, 1862.

"It is with heartfelt gratitude the General Commanding congratulates the armies of the West for another great victory won by them on the 3d, 4th, and 5th instants, over the combined armies of Van Dorn, Price, and Lovell.

"The enemy chose his own time and plan of attack, and knowing the troops of the West as he does, and with great facilities for knowing their numbers, never would have made the attempt except with a superior force numerically. But for the undaunted bravery of officers and soldiers, who have yet to learn defeat, the efforts of the enemy must have proven successful.

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Whilst one division of the army, under Major-General Rosecrans, was resisting and repelling the onslaught of the rebel hosts at Corinth, another from Bolivar, under Major-General Hurlbut, was marching upon the enemy's rear, driving in their pickets and cavalry, and attracting the attention of a large force of infantry and artillery. On the following day, under MajorGeneral Ord, these forces advanced with unsurpassed gallantry, driving the enemy back across the Hatchie, over ground where it is almost incredible that a superior force should be driven by an inferior, capturing two of the batteries (eight guus), many hundred small arms, and several hundred prisoners.

"To those two divisions of the army all praise is due, and will be awarded by a grateful country.

"Between them there should be, and I trust are, the warmest bonds of brotherhood. Each was risking life in the same cause, and, on this occasion, risking it also to save and assist the other. No troops could do more than these separate armies. Each did all possible for it to do in the places assigned it.

"As in all great battles, so in this, it becomes our fate to mourn the loss of many brave and faithful officers and soldiers who have given up their lives as a sacrifice for a great principle. The nation mourns for them.

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On the following day the subjoined despatch was published for the information of the troops:

"WASHINGTON, D. C., October 8th, 1862.

"MAJOR-GENERAL GRANT:

"I congratulate you and all concerned in your recent battles and victories. How does it all sum up? I especially regret the death of General Hackleman, and am very anxious to know the condition of General Oglesby, who is an intimate personal friend. "A. LINCOLN. "MAJOR-GENERAL U. S. GRANT.

"By command of

"JOHN A. RAWLINS,

"Assistant Adjutant-General."

After the battle, the rebels were pursued in force about forty miles, but their flight was so rapid that it was impossible to overtake them, and further pursuit was suspended.

HE ASSUMES COMMAND OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE.

On the sixteenth of October, 1862, General Grant's Department was extended so as to embrace the State of Mississippi as far as Vicksburg, and on assuming command he issued the following orders:

"HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,

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JACKSON, TENN., October 25th, 1862. ["General Orders, No. 1.]

"I. In compliance with General Orders, No. 159, A. G. O., War Department, of date October 16th, 1862, the undersigned hereby assumes command of the Department of the Tennessee, which includes Cairo, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Northern Mississippi, and the portions of Kentucky and Tennessee west of the Tennessee river.

"II. Head-quarters of the Department of the Tennessee will remain, until further orders, at Jackson, Tennessee.

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III. All orders of the District of West Tennessee will continue in force in the Department. "U. S. GRANT,

"Major-General Commanding."

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HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, "JACKSON, TENN., October 26th, 1862.

["General Orders, No. 2.]

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"I. The geographical divisions designated in General Orders, No. 83, from Head-quarters, District of West Tennessee, dated September 24th, 1862, will hereafter be known as districts. The First Division will constitute the District of Memphis,' Major-General W. T. Sherman commanding; the Second Division, the District of Jackson,' commanded by MajorGeneral S. A. Hurlbut; the Third Division, the District of Corinth,' Brigadier-General C. S. Hamilton commanding; the Fourth Division, the District of Columbus,' commanded by Brigadier-General T. A. Davies.

"II. The army heretofore known as the 'Army of the Mississippi,' being now divided and in different departments, will be continued as a separate army.

"III. Until army corps are formed, there will be no distinction known, except those of departments, districts, divisions, posts, brigades, regiments and companies.

6.

By command of

MAJOR-GENERAL U. S. GRANT.

"JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A.-G."

On the first of November he issued a lengthy order establishing certain important regulations in regard to the movement of trains, limiting the allowance of baggage and camp equipage, and otherwise placing his army in such a condition that it could move in the enemy's country with the greatest activity, and not be encumbered with long lines of wagons, as has too frequently been the case during the progress of the rebellion.

IMPORTANT

RECONNOISSANCES AND SKIR-
MISHES.

A day or two before this last order was issued, a large body of cavalry had made a successful reconnoissance bełow Ripley, and had occupied that place and Orizaba, and on the fourth of November, General Grant, with several divisions of the army, occupied La Grange, and established his head-quarters there.

On the eighth of November, 1862, he ordered a force, consisting of about ten thousand infantry under command of General McPherson, and about fifteen hundred cavalry

under Colonel Lee, to make a reconnoissance for the purpose of ascertaining the exact position of the enemy. Near Lamar, a village about twelve miles south of La Grange, the cavalry encountered the enemy's pickets, and soon afterwards a force of cavalry, whom, after a short skirmish, they drove into the hills. One portion of Colonel Lee's force was subsequently sent down towards Hudsonville, while he himself, with about seven hundred of his men, attacked the rebels and compelled them to retreat, leaving their dead and wounded in our hands. For his gallant conduct on this and several previous occasions, Colonel Lee was recommended by General Grant for promotion.

On the ninth of November, stringent orders were issued, having for their object the prevention of depredations by the troops, and authorizing the stoppage of the pay of entire divisions for the full amount of damages committed by any soldier to whom the act could not be definitely traced. On the eleventh of the month the officers of General Grant's staff were officially announced; on the fourteenth, a camp for the reception of fugitive slaves was established at Grand Junction; two days later, one of the provisions of the order of the ninth was enforced, by the levy of about twelve hundred dollars upon the Twentieth Illinois regiment, to reimburse certain store-keepers for property stolen and injured by a portion of the regiment, the identity of the actual criminals being undiscovered; and on the nineteenth, an order was promulgated, requiring persons, before purchasing cotton or other Southern products, to have a special permit from the local ProvostMarshal; prohibiting purchasers from going beyond the lines to trade; and granting licenses to loyal persons within the Department to keep for sale to residents who have taken the oath of allegiance, articles "of prime necessity for families."

ADVANCE OF THE ARMY-RECONNOISSANCES AND SKIRMISHES.

On the twenty-eighth of November, 1862, a force of cavalry and infantry, which had started the day before from Helena, Arkansas, under command of Generals A. P. Hovey and Washburne, arrived at a point on the Mississippi river near the mouth of the Yazoo Pass; and a reconnoitering party was immediately sent out, which captured a rebel camp, routed its occupants, and from thence moved along the Coldwater and Tallahatchie rivers. An expedition was also sent to Garner's Station, where the railroad track and bridge were destroyed. Other important and equally successful reconnoissances were made about the same time.

On the same day the advance of General Grant's main army left Davis's Mills for Holly Springs, and passing through the latter place, arrived near Waterford on the thirtieth, when a skirmish took place, resulting in the retreat of the enemy within their defences. On the second of December, Abbeville was occupied by the Union troops; on the third, several skirmishes occurred near Oxford; on the fourth, the rebels were driven from Water Valley; and on the fifth, a severe engagement, lasting several hours, and which was not attended with the same success which had rewarded the gallantry of our troops on the previous days, was fought near Coffeeville, Mississippi. On the twelfth, the enemy were repulsed near Corinth, but eight days later they gained a victory over the garrison at Holly Springs, and compelled a surrender. Other towns in the rear of General Grant's army were also attacked, but unsuccessfully. The surrender of Holly Springs seriously interfered with his plans, and he was compelled to fall back to that place, from whence he issued the following orders:

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