Division commanders may read this to regimental commanders, and furnish brigade commanders a copy.  They should also cause as many copies of the map to be made on the same scale as possible, being very careful in copying the names.

The points marked e and g (Allan’s and Mount Albans) are evidently strategical points that will figure in our future operations, and these positions should be well studied.

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. Sherman, Major-General.

The Mississippi boats were admirably calculated for handling troops, horses, guns, stores, etc., easy of embarkation and disembarkation, and supplies of all kinds were abundant, except fuel.  For this we had to rely on wood, but most of the wood-yards, so common on the river before the war, had been exhausted, so that we had to use fence-rails, old dead timber, the logs of houses, etc.  Having abundance of men and plenty of axes, each boat could daily procure a supply.

In proceeding down the river, one or more of Admiral Porter’s gunboats took the lead; others were distributed throughout the column, and some brought up the rear.  We manoeuvred by divisions and brigades when in motion, and it was a magnificent sight as we thus steamed down the river.  What few inhabitants remained at the plantations on the river-bank were unfriendly, except the slaves; some few guerrilla-parties infested the banks, but did not dare to molest so, strong a force as I then commanded.

We reached Milliken’s Bend on Christmas-day, when I detached one brigade (Burbridge’s), of A. J. Smith’s division, to the southwest, to break up the railroad leading from Vicksburg toward Shreveport, Louisiana.  Leaving A. J. Smith’s division there to await the return of Burbridge, the remaining three divisions proceeded, on the 26th, to the mouth of the Yazoo, and up that river to Johnson’s plantation, thirteen miles, and there disembarked Steele’s division above the mouth of Chickasaw Bayou, Morgans division near the house of Johnson (which had been burned by the gunboats on a former occasion), and M. L. Smith’s just below.  A. J. Smith’s division arrived the next night, and disembarked below that of M. L. Smith.  The place of our disembarkation was in fact an island, separated from the high bluff known as Walnut Hills, on which the town of Vicksburg stands, by a broad and shallow bayou-evidently an old channel of the Yazoo.  On our right was another wide bayou, known as Old River; and on the left still another, much narrower, but too deep to be forded, known as Chickasaw Bayou.  All the island was densely wooded, except Johnson’s plantation, immediately on the bank of the Yazoo, and a series of old cotton-fields along Chickasaw Bayou.  There was a road from Johnson’s plantation directly to Vicksburg, but it crossed numerous bayous and deep swamps by bridges, which had been destroyed; and this road debouched on level ground at the foot of the Vicksburg bluff, opposite strong forts, well prepared and defended by heavy artillery.  On this road I directed General A. J. Smith’s division, not so much by way of a direct attack as a diversion and threat.