I had my headquarters camp close up to the works, near the centre of my corps, and General Grant had his bivouac behind a ravine to my rear.  We estimated Pemberton’s whole force in Vicksburg at thirty thousand men, and it was well known that the rebel General Joseph E. Johnston was engaged in collecting another strong force near the Big Black, with the intention to attack our rear, and thus to afford Pemberton an opportunity to escape with his men.  Even then the ability of General Johnston was recognized, and General Grant told me that he was about the only general on that side whom he feared.  Each corps kept strong pickets well to the rear; but, as the rumors of Johnston’s accumulating force reached us, General Grant concluded to take stronger measures.  He had received from the North General J. G. Parker’s corps (Ninth), which had been posted at Haines’s Bluff; then, detailing one division from each of the three corps d’armee investing Vicksburg, he ordered me to go out, take a general command of all, and to counteract any movement on the part of General Johnston to relieve Vicksburg.  I reconnoitred the whole country, from Haines’s Bluff to the railroad bridge, and posted the troops thus: 

Parke’s two divisions from Haines’s Bluff out to the Benton or ridge road; Tuttle’s division, of my corps, joining on and extending to a plantation called Young’s, overlooking Bear Creek valley, which empties into the Big Black above Messinger’s Ferry; then McArthurs division, of McPherson’s corps, took up the line, and reached to Osterhaus’s division of McClernand’s corps, which held a strong fortified position at the railroad-crossing of the Big Black River.  I was of opinion that, if Johnston should cross the Big Black, he could by the favorable nature of the country be held in check till a concentration could be effected by us at the point threatened.  From the best information we could gather, General Johnston had about thirty or forty thousand men.  I took post near a plantation of one Trible, near Markham’s, and frequently reconnoitred the whole line, and could see the enemy engaged in like manner, on the east aide of Big Black; but he never attempted actually to cross over, except with some cavalry, just above Bear Creek, which was easily driven back.  I was there from June 20th to the 4th of July.  In a small log-house near Markham’s was the family of Mr. Klein, whose wife was the daughter of Mrs. Day, of New Orleans, who in turn was the sister of Judge T. W. Bartley, my brother-in-law.  I used frequently to drop in and take a meal with them, and Mrs. Klein was generally known as the general’s cousin, which doubtless saved her and her family from molestation, too common on the part of our men.