Colonel,—Your letter of the 3d inst., relating to the crossing of troops to the east bank of the
Mississippi River, and enclosing copies of correspondence on that subject, has been received.
In reply I have the honor to state that in my opinion it is impracticable at this season of the year to cross any considerable body of men. The following are some of the reasons upon which this opinion is based:
When the attempt was made last summer, under the direction of
Lieutenant-General Taylor, the roads leading to the
Mississippi River were practicable for all arms of the service, and the country through which the movement was made abounded in forage and provisions, a concentration of the troops with a view of forcing or surprising a passage of the river induced a corresponding concentration of the enemy's gunboats.
After making renewed attempts to effect a crossing
General Taylor abandoned the enterprise as hopeless, expressing the opinion that it was impracticable.
The vigilance of the enemy, and their means of resisting the crossing were so great that
Major-General Wharton, commanding the cavalry, after a careful reconnoissance made use of the illustration, ‘that a bird, if dressed in Confederate gray, would find it difficult to fly across the river.’
The only feasible plan to have crossed at that time would have been to have crossed the army in small squads at various points, leaving it virtually without organization, and making it equivalent, in the disaffected condition of the troops at that time, to a disorganization and dispersion of two-thirds of the army.
If it were impracticable when
Lieutenant-General Taylor so justly pronounced it so, the difficulties are greatly increased at this time.
The country is exhausted of its provisions and forage.
The swamps are utterly impracticable for an army.
The country would not support the troops,
