HedirectedmetoseewhatIcould，andreportifImetanythingthatheshouldknow。Igallopedasfastaspossibletotheright，andfoundpartoftheSixthMissouripushingoverthesand—barcoveredbytheThirteenthRegularswithaheavyfire。Wesupposed，ifonceacross，theycouldgetupthebankandturntheleveeagainsttheenemy，andleftwiththatimpression。Beinginheavytimber，Iwasnotquitesureofmywaybacktothegeneral，hislocationbeingnew，andthereforepushedfullgallopforMorgan’sfront，catchingagoodmanystrayshotsfromthesharpshootersbehindthelevee，asIwascompelledtokeepinsightofthebayoutoholddirection。Somethingoverhalf—wayalongMorgan’sdivisionfront，thecommanderofaKentuckyregimenthailedmeandsaidhemusthavesupport，ashewasthreatenedbyamaskedbattery，andtheenemywasinforceinhisfront，andmightcrossanymoment。Ianswered，rathershortly，’Howthedevildoyouknowthereisamaskedbattery？Ifyoucan’tgetover，howcantherebelsgetatyou？’Heinsistedonthebattery，anddanger。I
finallytoldhimthebayouwasutterlyimpassablethere，but，ifheinsistedtheenemycouldcross，Iwouldinsistonanadvanceonoursideatthatpoint。Hurryingontomakeuplosttime，IsoonreachedMorgan。Hewasmakingencouragingspeechesinageneralway，butstoppedtoaskmequestionsastoSteele’srank，dateofcommission，etc。Iwasverymuchdisturbedatthis，fearingwantofharmony，androdeontoSteele，whomIfoundcursingMorgansofiercelythatIcouldnotexactlymakeoutthesourceofthetrouble，orreasonwhy;butsawwantofconcertclearlyenough。I
hastenedbacktoGeneralSherman，andendeavoredtoimpressmyideasonhimandmyfears;but，whileheadmittedthefacts，hecouldnotbemadetobelievethatanyjealousyorpersonalquarrelcouldleadtoafailuretosupporteachother，andaneglectofduty。Thesignalforattackhadalreadybeengiven，andtheartilleryhadopened，whenIlefthimagainforMorgan’sfront。I
foundMorganwhereIlefthim，andthetroopsadvancing。Ihadunderstoodthathewastoleadhisdivision，andaskedaboutit，but，gettingnosatisfaction，pushedforthefront，crossingthesloughatthelittlebridgeattheheadofthebayou。Ifoundthewillowscutoffeighteeninchesortwofeetlong，withsharppointsabovethemud，makingitslowanddifficulttopass，saveatthebridge。Iovertooktherearoftheadvanceabouttwoorthreehundredfeetupthegentleslope，andwasastonishedtofindhowsmallaforcewasmakingtheattack。IwasalsosurprisedtofindthattheywereSteele’smeninsteadofMorgan’s。Ialsosawseveralregimentsacrossthebayou，butnotadvancing;theywerenearthelevee。Aheavyartilleryandinfantryfirewasgoingonallthistime。Whilemakingmywayalongthecolumn，fromwhichtherewereveryfewfallingback，ashellburstnearme，andtheconcussionconfusedmeatthetimeandleftmewithaheadacheforseveralmonths。WhenIgotmywitsaboutmeagainIfoundagoodmanycomingback，butthemainpartoftheforcewascompactandkeepingupthefight。Ididnotgetclosertothewoodsthanaboutfivehundredfeet，andfoundthatalargenumberhadpenetratedintotheenemy’sworks。Whenourmenfellback，veryfewran，butcameslowlyandsullenly，farmoreangrythanfrightened。IfoundGeneralFrankBlaironfoot，andwithhimColonelSea，ofSouthwestMissouri，andlearnedthatColonelThomasFletcher，afterwardGovernorofMissouri，wascapturedwithmanyofhismen。Theybothinsistedthereonthespot，withthosearoundus，thatifallthemenordereduphadgoneup，orevenallthatcrossedthebayouhadmovedforward，wecouldhavereadilyestablishedourselvesintheenemy’sworks。Iwasfirmlyofthesameopinionatthetimeontheground;and，anentranceeffected，wecouldhavebroughtthewholeforceondryground，andhadabaseofoperationsagainstVicksburg——thoughprobably，inviewoflaterevents，wewouldhavehadtostandasiegefromPemberton’sarmy。AfterexplanationswithBlair，Irodetowherethemenwere，whohadcrossedthebayou，buthadnotadvancedwiththeothers。IfoundthemtobeDeCourcey’sbrigade;ofMorgan’sdivision，whichGeneralShermansupposedtobeinadvance。Infact，itwastheintendedsupportthatmadetheattack。AcorrespondenceandcontroversyfollowedbetweenGeneralBlairandColonelDeCourcey，mostofwhichIhave，butnothingcameofit。Onreachingthebayou，IfoundthatThayer’sbrigade，ofSteele’sdivision，hadinsomewaylostitsdirectionandfiledofftotheright。Rememberingthemaskedbattery，Isuspectedthathadsomethingtodowiththematter，and，onfollowingitup，IlearnedthattheKentuckycolonelbeforementionedhadappealedforaidagainstthemaskedbatteryandinvisibleforceofrebels，andthataregimenthadbeenorderedtohim。Thisregiment，filingoffintothetimber，hadbeenfollowedbyThayer’sbrigade，supposingittobeadvancingtothefront，andthusleftasinglebrigadetoattackasuperiorforceoftheenemyinanintrenchedandnaturallystrongposition。Bythetimethemistakecouldberectified，itwastoolate。Ourlosswasfromonehundredandfiftytotwohundredkilled，andaboutelevenhundredprisonersandwounded。DuringtheafternoonIwentwithaflagoftruce，withreferencetoburyingthedead。Isawbetweeneightyandonehundredofourmendead，allstripped。Therewereotherscloserintotheenemy’sworksthanIwasallowedtogo。OngoinglatertowheretheSixthMissouricrossed，Ifoundthattheywereunderthebank，andhadduginwiththeirhandsandbayonets，oranythinginreach，toprotectthemselvesfromaverticalfirefromtheenemyoverhead，whohadaheavyforcethere。Withgreatdifficultytheywerewithdrawnatnight。NextdayarrangementsweremadetoattemptalodgmentbelowHaines’sBluff:ThiswastobedonebySteele’scommand，whiletherestoftheforceattackedagainwherewehadalreadytried。Duringthedaylocomotiveswhistled，andagreatnoiseandfusswentoninourfront，andwesupposedthatGrantwasdrivinginPemberton，andexpectedfiringanymomentuptheYazooorintherearofVicksburg。Nothearingthis，weconcludedthatPembertonwasthrowinghisforcesintoVicksburg。AheavyfogpreventedSteelefrommakinghismovement。
Rainbegantofall，andourlocationwasnotgoodtobeinafteraheavyrain，orwiththeriverrising。Duringthenight（Ithink）