Johnston come, we want to whip him, if the siege has to be raised to do it.

Use all the forces indicated above as you deem most advantageous; and should more be required, call on me, and they will be furnished, to the last man here and at Young's Point.

U. S. GRANT.

NEILY'S, June 23, 1863-4. 30 p. m.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, Commanding, &c.:

On arriving here I found that Colonel Stephens had returned from his reconnaissance (with 170 cavalry). He crossed Bear Creek at the bridge. At the works of the road, a mile beyond, he met several small parties, who fired upon him. He drove them all off, and then proceeded to the Big Black, capturing 1 man of Colonel [D. W.] Jones' Texas Rangers, Whitfield's brigade. Jackson's DIVISION headquarters about a mile from the railroad north of Jackson. Johnston's headquarters at Brownsville. Two wounded men in yesterday's fight were paroled. Breckinridge at Jackson. I will send the prisoners in to the Bluff.

Respectfully, yours,

JNO. G. PARKE.

YOUNG'S POINT, June 23, 1863.

JOHN A. RAWLINS, Assistant adjutant-GENERAL:

COLONEL: I have the honor to inclose a copy of a letter received from Brigadier-General Reid, commanding Post Lake Providence, this a. m. The latter part of this letter is corroborated by the boats Prima Donna, Jacob Strader, Little Rebel, and another boat, who were fired into just above Catfish Point by four 6-pounders and musketry. The Prima Donna was disabled, and was towed down by the Strader.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ELIAS S. DENNIS.

[Inclosure.]

PROVIDENCE, La., June 22, 1863.

Major General U. S. GRANT:

GENERAL: I would respectfully report that 4 men (W. G. De Moss, G. H. Ingham, James Tyler, H. J. Waddle, of Company H, Colonel [R. G.] Shaver's infantry regiment of Arkansas), came to our lines to-day and gave themselves up. They state that they belong to Price's army; that they left Little Rock, Ark., May 20, 1863, and that their brigade left the 17th May, commanded by General [J. C.] Tappan, and marched to Camden and Monroe, and came from there to Delhi by rail. The brigade consists of three regiments, two of them having about 600 each, the other 800, mostly conscript; no artillery. He says it takes as many men to keep them in as to do the fighting. De Moss says that he heard that one of the two brigades at Pine Bluff came down before this. There were three brigades at Little Rock when these men left, nearly all conscripts, and the regiments about as strong as those above. One of the brigades is from Missouri, and mostly volunteers. Price is in command at Little Rock. That he saw a letter from a soldier at Little Rock to his father near Camden, which stated that all Price's army was ordered to move except one brigade. He did not know in what