ured his whole force. The Hatchie was very high and impassable anywhere below Bolivar. I still hope to punish him severely before he gets out of reach.

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major-General.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, May 8, 1864. (Received 11th, 11 a. m.)

Forrest is driven out of West Tennessee. My forces followed him as far as East Mississippi, but his swift horses rendered farther pursuit unavailing. There is no organized enemy in West Tennessee or Kentucky.

You will next hear of Forrest near Decatur, Ala.

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major-General.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, May 8, 1864.

Forrest was pursued by Sturgis as far as Ripley, when lack of for age compelled him to give up the chase. Forrest with all his force would be at Tupelo by the 6th instant. He is no doubt on his way to attack some of your weak points.

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major-General.

Major-General McPHERSON.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., May 8, 1864.

GENERAL: I send you a copy of my last dispatch from General Sturgis.* You will see that he is obliged to give over the chase after Forrest. I regret very much that we could not intercept and hold him or cut him up. I have done all that it was possible for any man to do since I came here. Could I have had a co-operating force from the Tennessee River, I should have had him fast.

On the night of the 2nd instant he was at Purdy, with 4,000 or 5,000 men, retreating south. Could that point have been occupied before that we should have had him fast, for the swollen condition of the Hatchief would have prevented him from crossing to any point south of that stream. As it is, he is now no doubt proceeding with all his force to harass you. Of this I have advised you by telegraph. He would concentrate at Tupelo and move from there. The cars are running from Tupelo to Mobile. They are also running to Panola, with a break at Grenada. They are obtaining all the supplies they can from the lines of these road, and General Polk, at Demopolis, has been drawing most of his supplies from these sources.

My cavalry will be in in three or four days. I have with Sturgis 3,500, and about 800 have arrived here since he left. I could rally now nearly 5,000 cavalry here, but 1,400 of that belongs to Vicksburg, viz, the Fourth Iowa, a part of which was stopped on its way down, and the balance, together with 300 men of Tenth Missouri, were brought up from there. These troops I must send back to Vicksburg.

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*See p. 697, Sturgis to Washburn, May 7, 1864.

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