Can't you send immediately a couple of gunboats down? They can easily see and distinguish our men, and can silence a water battery, that is, the extremity of their flank on the river, and enfilade the left flank of their works.

I think nearly all the guns of their upper batteries are moved inside of Vicksburg and are now on the land front.

You will have no trouble in distinguishing our flank; it is about one-quarter of a mile below a cattle pen, on the immediate shore of the Mississippi.

I would get General Grant to make this request, but he is far on the left flank and it would take hours to find him.

Truly, yours,

W. T. SHERMAN,

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE, Numbers 134.
near Vicksburg, MISS., May 19, 1863-11. 16 a. m.

Army corps commanders will push forward carefully, and gain as close position as possible to the enemy's works until 2 p. m. At that hour they will fire three volleys of artillery from all the pieces in position. This will be the signal for a general charge of all the corps along the whole line.

When the works are carried, guards will be placed by all DIVISION commanders, to prevent their men from straggling from their companies.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

JNO. A. RAWLINS.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MEMPHIS, TENN., May 19, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief:

The secessionists in this city have dispatches purporting to be received from Senatobia, 17th and 18th, which state that our forces at Raymond were beaten on the 16th by [W. W.] Loring; that 12,000 to 13,000 re-enforcements had arrived near Jackson from Brandon; that Pemberton, with 30,000 men, was advancing on Jackson by the Clinton road, and Maxey from Port Hudson, with 7,000, at Crystal Springs; that General Grant's forces commenced falling back from Jackson to Port Gibson on 16th.

Later, 18th. - The main Federal army at Jackson has surrendered, except cavalry, which escaped across Pearl River. Said to be two DIVISIONS surrendered.

Much of this is inconsistent with last known relative position of the two forces. If Pemberton has taken any such force out of Vicksburg, it is evacuated. The main army has not been at Jackson, and before Pemberton could reach Clinton he must have engaged General Grant. The steamer Express, just up, left Young's Point on Sunday; reports Vicksburg still occupied in force by the enemy, but brings no dispatches.

From all accounts I am satisfied that from 10,000 to 15,000 troops have re-enforced the enemy near Jackson-perhaps more.

S. A. HURLBUT.