WITH PRICE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

727

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MAP OF THE CORINTH AND IUKA REGION.

dition against Baton Rouge; that he feared that it would lead Van Dorn intoother adventures which would overtask his strength, and that Van Dorn would then call on General Price to help him. “ Now,” said he, “ when thishappens, as it surely will, I want you to say to General Price, for me, that thesuccess of General Bragg’s movement into Tennessee and Kentucky dependsgreatly upon his (Price’s) ability to keep Grant from reenforcing Buell, andconsequently that General Bragg would sternly disapprove the sending of anyreenforcements whatever to Van Dorn . Say to General Price that I knowthat General Bragg expects him to keep his men well in hand, and ready tomove northward at a moment’s notice.”

Simultaneously with Van Dorn ’s request for reenforcements came a tele-gram from Bragg (August 2d) saying that Grant had been reenforcing Buell,and that “the road was open for him (Price) into west Tennessee .” Pricetherefore replied to Van Dorn that in view of Bragg’s telegram, and consider-ing the very important relations which the Army of the West bore to that ineast Tennessee , he could not send any of his troops to Breckimidge, butmust concentrate them for a forward movement.

“ The enemy [said he] is still transferring his troops from Corinth and its vicinity eastward.He will, by the end of this week, have reduced the force to its minimum. We should be quick totake advantage of this, for he will soon begin to get in reenforcements under the late call for