has been in his present
employment. His wife stated this to me, and with a view of
obtaining facts about that section of country I requested her to
introduce him to me. I was surprised at his general intelligence
in regard to the war, and from the facts I derived from him and
other practical men I satisfied myself that the Tennessee river
was the true strategic point, and submitted a document to this
effect to Hon. Thomas A. Scott, dated the 30th of November, 1861,
which changed the whole programme of the war in the Southwest,
and inured to the glory of our arms in that section and
throughout the land. The Government is not aware of the
incalculable service rendered by the facts I learned from this
pilot, and I therefore take the present occasion to ask his
promotion to the surveyorship of New Orleans, for which I should
think him well suited in this crisis.

I enclose you a letter describing the battle of Pittsburg
Landing, which will interest you.

Very sincerely,

ANNA ELLA CARROLL.

* * * * *

Extract from the letter to the Secretary of War on the 15th of May,
1862, advising the occupation of Vicksburg:

* * * "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. This can be defeated by strongly occupying
Vicksburg and plying 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 take the railroad through Louisiana into
Texas." * * *

* * * * *

On the following Monday Miss Carroll handed Mr. Watson a letter giving
information that the canoes, skiffs, and other transports had been
sent up the Yazoo from Memphis and Vicksburg for the purpose,
undoubtedly, of securing the rebels' retreat from our pursuing army.

Letter from the file of the Attorney General, Court of Claims:[29]

[Footnote 29: Copied by me from the file at the