JACKSON, June 22, 1862.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT:

SIR: I arrived here yesterday. I find large fleets of gun- boats, mortar- boats, and transports, with troops ascending and descending the river toward Vicksburg. Said to be 10,000 men with them. Have ordered 5,000 men from Grenada to re- enforce me. Will defend to the death. Can your order me any arms for troops raising in this State.!*

EARL VAN DORN,

Major-General.

[15.]

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA., June 23, 1862.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, C. S. Army, Richmond, Va.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: It affords me much plasure to comply with the request you made in our recent interview at Charleston to put upoon your records so much of the circumstances of the bombardment which took place at Pensacla on the 1st day of January last, and of the conduct of Brigadier General R. H. Anderson, commanding C. S. forces on that occasion, as ca me under my persoanl observation. The immediate cause of the bombardment was a visit to the navy- yard o a opassendger stemaboat from Pensacola. This steam- boat came down by permission of Major Farrar, acting inspector- general, and, as Major Farrar himself informed me, without the knowledge of Genefral Anderson, but upon the authority given him by General Bragg some time perviously. General Brtagg and his inspector- geenral were absent in Mobkle. While the steamboat lay at the yard she was fired upon by the enemy. This might have been expected, for we fired uponone of the enemy's boats upon a lime occasion. The battery nearest the steam- baot returned the fire at once. A few moments after another of our batteries in the vicinity returned the fire. The enemy did not reply for upwward of half an hour an then with all of his guns. I was en route for Pensacola., but returned to General Anderson's headuqarters. Upon meeting him I remarked, "You are in luck, general." He replied, "Too much of a good thing is good for nothing," that had he known of the intneded visit of the boat he should have made such preparations as to have taken advantage oft the enemy. As it was, the enemy had sheltered himself before returning our fire. I will remark here that our battteries (scattered over several miles) had orders to reply at once to any fire of the enemy directed toward them, but upon exchange of shotrs elsewhere to be sure that the enemy meant a general engagement before firing. This order wars to resent any act of the enemy, but aqt the same time to guard aghainst bhringing on a genreal bombardment, as our supply of ammunition was limited. General Anderson then cosulted me concerning our supply of ammunion, the condition of our batteries, &c. I informed him that as it was late in the afternoon we might fire all of our guns with ordiantry rapidity until dark, and occasionally during the night, witiothout materially injuring our supply, but that I did not think we could contine firing during the ensuing day. Should the enemy reopen next day we might reply in the afternoon about an hour to sunset with all of our vigor, and so on for several days. I dined with General Anderson and afterward rode with him to the navy- yard. Leaving General Andersona and the navy- yard at sunset, I returned to my quarters and took my wife to the beach to see the firing. I called upon General Andersona and family during the evening, taking my wife

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*For reply, see Davis to Van Dorn, VOL. XV, p. 767.

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