Julia and the children left here on Saturday last for St. Louis where
they will remain on a visit until about the last of the month. At the
end of that time they must be some place where the children can go to
school.--Mrs. Hillyer has a nice house in the city and is all alone
whilst her husband is on my staff, and it may be that she and Julia
will keep house together. If they do she would be very much pleased to
have you make her a long visit. Julia says that she is satisfied that
the best place for the children is in Covington. But there are so many
of them that she sometimes feels as if they were not wanted. Their
visit down here in Dixie was very pleasant and they were very loth to
leave. Things however began to look so threatening that I thought it
was best for them to leave. I am now in a situation where it is
impossible for me to do more than to protect my long lines of defence.
I have the Mississippi to Memphis, the railroad from Columbus to
Corinth, from Jackson to Bolivar, from Corinth to Decatur, and the
Tennessee and Cumberland rivers to keep open. Guerillas are hovering
around in every direction, getting whipped every day some place by
some of my command, but keeping us busy. The war is evidently growing
oppressive to the Southern people. Their _institution_[2] are
beginning to have ideas of their own; every time an expedition goes
out many of them follow in the wake of the army and come into camp. I
am using them as teamsters, hospital attendants, company cooks and so
forth, thus saving soldiers to carry the musket. I don't know what is
to become of these poor people in the end, but it weakens the enemy to
take them from them. If the new levies are sent in soon the rebels
will have a good time getting in their crops this Fall.
I have abandoned all hope of being able to make a visit home till the
close of the war. A few weeks' recreation would be very grateful
however. It is one constant strain now and has been for a year. If I
do get through I think I will take a few months of pure and undefiled
rest. I stand it well, however, having gained some fifteen pounds in
weight since leaving Cairo. Give my love to all at home.