REPONSE DU GENERAL GRANT

Headquarters Camp, Sin-Ilo, 3oth August 1860.

Sir, — I havc tlic honour lo acknowledge tlie receipt of your Excelleucv's memorandvim ol' this date, which embraces so many distinct points, that it bccomes necessary to reply to it in détail.

\our Exccllcncv observes that in tlie forts on the right bank are collected ail the means of defence. To this I cannot assent ; for, from personal observation, I find that the north forts do not only in themselves possess great means both of offence and defence, but also, from their position, their lire can sweep that part of the right bank along Avhich an army must pass to attack the south forts. Nor can I sce how their capture would delay the opérations ofthe armv : for the bridge is being equally advanced across the Pciho, and is not bcing delayed by this measure, Avhilsl the bridges Avhich bave been constructed over the creeks bevond Tang-Ku will be ample for both French and English.

It has never been proposed by the admirais to bring the lire of the gunboats to bear on the inner forts; on the contrary, it Avas exprcsslv sllpulated that they should fire only on the outer forts.

I fully agrée with your Excellency in thinking that it would be a grave error to expose the gunboats to the fire of the south forts without any coopération from the land forces; but I hâve vet to learn that this is proposed to be done. It has not been part of mv plan, of which I shall treat more fullv below.