NEAR Vicksburg, MISS., May 31, 1863.

Rear-Admiral DAVID D. PORTER,

Commanding Mississippi Squadron:

Will you please direct the Marine Brigade to debark at Haynes' Bluff, and send all their steamers, or as many of them as possible, to Memphis to bring down re-enforcements? I have ordered the troops, but it is a difficult matter to get transportation. I would specially request that any of these steamers that can be spared be got off at the earliest possible moment.

U. S. GRANT,

NEAR Vicksburg, MISS, May 31, 1863.

Commanders of Thirteenth, Fifteenth, and SEVENTEENTH Army Corps:

Open all your artillery on the enemy for half an hour, commencing at 3 o'clock to-morrow morning. Throw shell near to the parapets and well into the city also.

U. S. GRANT,

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE, Numbers 146.
near Vicksburg, MISS., May 31, 1863.

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III. The commanding officer of Grand Gulf will take immediate steps to break up that post, by the complete destruction of the river defenses, and moving the entire garrison and all public property, including ordnance and ordnance stores, to Warrenton, MISS., except such public property as is not required for use in the field, which will be sent to Young's Point, La. The fortifications at Grand Gulf on the land side will not be destroyed. There must be no delay in the execution of this order.

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By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

JNO. A. RAWLINS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

NEAR Vicksburg, MISS., May 31, 1863.

Major General STEPHEN A. HURLBUT,

Commanding SIXTEENTH Army Corps:

I send this by Colonel Hillyer, of my staff, to insure its reaching you speedily, and that he may urge upon you the necessity of the promptest action.

Vicksburg is so strong by nature and so well fortified that a sufficient force cannot be brought to bear against it to carry it by storm against the present garrison. It must be taken by a regular siege or by starving out the garrison. I have all the force necessary for this, if my rear was not threatened.

It is now certain that Joe Johnston has already collected a force from 20,000 to 25,000 strong at Jackson and Canton, and is using every effort, to increase it to 40,000. With this, he will undoubtedly attack Haynes' Bluff, and compel me to abandon the investment of the city, if not re-enforced before he can get here.