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(UNION GENERAL PRENTISS' WRITES GRANT DURING VICKS

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165. (UNION GENERAL PRENTISS WRITES GRANT DURING VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN) A great war-date secretarial letter from Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss, 1p. 4to., "Headquarters Dist. Of Eastern Ark., Helena, Ark., Mar. 8, 1863", endorsed by Brig. Gen. JOHN A. RAWLINS (1831-1869), to U.S. Grant concerning the arrival at Helena of Gen. Quinby who would take control of Grant's second expedition through the Yazoo Pass, in part: "...This day Gen'l. Quinby arrived with his division and will go into Moon Lake in the morning. I have made arraignments to keep up communications...Gen'l. Quinby will take charge on the [Yazoo] Pass until McPherson arrives. I presume...I should render assistance in...keeping open communication guarding [Yazoo] Pass...[and] do all I can to assist...the Expedition. I shall do this until otherwise ordered and have assured Gen'l Quinby of my hearty cooperation. We should have one of those small steam tugs as steamboats are compelled to row slow the streams being narrow. I trust, Gen'l., you will let me hear from you...Helena will soon become a respectable place. Troops improving in discipline, cotton buyers getting scarce, and trade without our lines cut off...". The second Yazoo Expedition ended in failure when Confederate General Loring's met the Union flotilla at Fort Pemberton. A very historic letter penned during a period when Grant, frustrated at having not been able to capture Vicksburg, would resort to almost any move to capture the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy". Near fine.$600-800

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