n from
Memphis and Vicksburg to some point up the _Yazoo river_ and
fitted up, for what purpose I do not know, but I can think there
is no other than what I name, for _one night's ride_ from Jackson
will carry a man to the edge of the _Yazoo_ river _swamps_, where
it would be impossible to follow unless equally well acquainted
and with boats like theirs. From there their escape would be
easy, as _they would have 400 miles_ of the river to strike, at
any part of which they would find friends to assist them over to
the Arkansas side of the river, and from _there_ pursuit would be
useless."

[Footnote 27: Copied by me on March 23, 1891, from
the file at the office of the Attorney General.

S. E. BLACKWELL.]

[28]Letter from Miss Carroll to Secretary Stanton:

[Footnote 28: Written to recommend Pilot Scott for
information given.]

_May 14, 1862._

Hon. E. M. STANTON, _Secretary of War_:

It will be the obvious policy of the rebels, in the event of
Beauregard's defeat, to send a large column into Texas for the
purpose of holding that country for subsistence, where beef and
wheat abound. Now, all this can be defeated by strongly occupying
Vicksburg and plying a gunboat or two on the Yazoo river. I would
also suggest a gunboat to be placed at the mouth of the Red and
Arkansas rivers. Whether the impending battle in North
Mississippi should occur at Corinth or within the area of a
hundred miles, a large part of the enemy's forces will retreat by
the Yazoo river and by the railroad to Vicksburg, on the
Mississippi, and will then take the railroad through Louisiana
into Texas. I handed Honorable Mr. Watson on Monday a letter
giving information that the canoes, skiffs, and other transports
had been sent up the Yazoo river from Memphis and Vicksburg for
the purpose, undoubtedly, of securing the rebels' retreat from
our pursuing army.

This information I obtained from Mr. Scott, a pilot on the
_Memphis_, which conducted the retreat of the soldiers at the
battle of Belmont, and had been with the fleet in the same
capacity up the Tennessee river. Until June last he resided in
New Orleans, and for twenty years or more