Cov Apl 9th 62
Ulysses
The Brother-in-law of Sutler
who took a few letters & two bottels of
cough drops, & told me another of his Bros-in-law
would start for your head quarters tomorrow, & would
letters or packages to you. As I have not written
to you for some time I will avail myself of the
opportunity, though you dont answer any of them
Julia left here two weeks ago last friday
& said she would be back in two weeks–last week
the children got a letter from her saying that she would
be back the last of last week or first of this, but
has not come yet–Fred & Ellen are perfectly con-
tent , & Ellen is quite a favorite with all family.
We have just recd the first news of the
fall of island No 10 & a battle between your forces
& Beauregard–stating that after a fight of ten
hours Beauregard forces was repulsed with great loss
on bouth[sic] sides. We have no further particulars,
except that you were in hot chase after the
flying rebels–There are many here rejoysing[sic]
you had the chance to rout them before [Halleck?]
assumed the command, but many that were
[page 2]
only sorry because you were not defeated. I expect
we will get further news this evening, & I hope we
may here of your bringing fifty thousand prisoners.
The Gazette is still throwing out sly & mean
inuendoes about you, but never runs direct charges
In a long & laboured article last week in which the
Editor attempts to show that the president attempted
to show (& with too much truth) how [hole in paper]
downs[?] the office of Gen by appointing over 180
many of whom could not make a living in
private life, & then uses the following language
as a hit on you. “But even in the case of
victory, time should be taken to review the full
reports, & find out who it was that attacked, per-
sued & captured the enemy, & took entrenchments at the
point of the bayonet, & who was tardy & inert while
the battle was going on. By a proper exercise of this
moderation the Government might avoid the extra-
ordinary predicament of promoting a commander to a Major
Generalship one day, & suspending him the next from
command the next, and eventually restoring him
chiefly to save its own consistency.” You will
see the drift & intended effect of the above
I would suggest that you get one of your
staff or some other prominent & competent
officer write out a short accurate statement
[page 3]
of this whole matter & I will get some friend
to procure its publication in the Commercial
as an “extract of a privat[e] letter from a promi-
nent officer of the army in Tennessee to a friend
in Cin &c” The Com & Enquirer have bouth[sic] written
& published several articles laudatory of your
course, The Gazette has been down on all offi
cers, who are promienent or have figured any
in this war. & in the article from which I
make the extract, it sneers at the [?] acqu-
ired at West point –and hoots[?] at the idea of
a W.P, or Mexican war officedr being any more
fit to command an army than any other. Every
paper is filled with fulsome adulations of
Maj Gen. John C. Freemont, & how he would
have ended the war in a few days more
if he had been let a lone &c.
Father says to
tell you that he has just been over to the city
and got the particulars of the battle of Co
Monday eve–& a messenger is here so I
close this abruptly for him to insert with
Capt L__’s letter–We are rejoiced that
you came off victorious and with out injury
I can attribute the last to nothing but
providence–you are wonderfully preserved
[page 4]
I hope you’l not be annoyed by father’s
refrence to the Gazette–I would not
take any notice of it–am sorry he wrote
about–he says he will write you soon
again –In haste Mary
[Mary Frances Grant, later Cramer, 1839-1905]
MSS 10645
