General Kirby Smith informed me that
Major-General Walker, with a division of infantry and three batteries,
four thousand strong, was on the march from Arkansas, and would reach me
within the next few days; and I was directed to employ Walker's force in
some attempt to relieve Vicksburg, now invested by General Grant, who
had crossed the Mississippi below on the 1st of May.

The peculiar position of Vicksburg and the impossibility of approaching
it from the west bank of the Mississippi have been stated, and were now
insisted upon. Granting the feasibility of traversing the narrow
peninsula opposite the place, seven miles in length and swept by guns
afloat on both sides, what would be gained? The problem was to withdraw
the garrison, not to reenforce it; and the correctness of this opinion
was proved by the fact that Pemberton could not use the peninsular route
to send out messengers.

On the other hand, I was confident that, with Walker's force, Berwick's
Bay could be captured, the Lafourche overrun, Banks's communication with
New Orleans interrupted, and that city threatened. Its population of two
hundred thousand was bitterly hostile to Federal rule, and the
appearance of a Confederate force on the opposite bank of the river
would raise such a storm as to bring General Banks from Port Hudson, the
garrison of which could then unite with General Joseph Johnston in the
rear of General Grant. Too late to relieve Port Hudson, I accomplished
all the rest with a force of less than three thousand of all arms.

Remonstrances were of no avail. I was informed that all the Confederate
authorities in the east were urgent for some effort on our part in
behalf of Vicksburg, and that public opinion would condemn us if we did
not _try to do something_. To go two hundred miles and more away from
the proper theatre of action in search of an indefinite _something_ was
hard; but orders are orders. Time was so important that I determined to
run the risk of moving Walker by river, though the enemy could bring
gunboats into the lower Red and Washita, as well as into the Tensas, and
had some troops in the region between this last and the Mississippi.
Steamers were held in readiness, and as soon as Walker arrived his
command was embarked and taken up the Tensas. I went on in advance to
give notice to the boats behind of danger; for, crowded with troops,
these would have been helpless in the event of meeting an enemy.

Without interference,