General C. F. Smith, commanding at Paducah, requesting him to make a demonstration at the same time against Columbus.

To more effectually attain the object of the demonstration against the enemy at Belmont and Columbus, I determined on the morning of the 6th to temporarily change the direction of Colonel Oglesby's column towards New Madrid, and also to send a small force under Colonel W. H. L. Wallace, Eleventh Illinois Volunteers, to Charleston, Mo., to ultimately join Colonel Oglesby. In accordance with this determination I addressed Colonel Oglesby the following communication:

CAIRO, November 6, 1861.

On receipt of this turn your column towards New Madrid. When you arrive at the nearest point to Columbus from which there is a road to that place, communicate with me at Belmont.

U. S. GRANT,

Brigadier-General.

Colonel R. J. OGLESBY,

Commanding Expedition.

which was sent to Colonel Wallace with the following letter:

CAIRO, November 6, 1861.

Herewith I send you an order to Colonel Oglesby to change the direction of his column towards New Madrid, halting to communicate with me at Belmont from the nearest point on his road.

I desire you to get up the Charleston expedition ordered for to-morrow, to start to-night, taking two days' rations with them. You will accompany them to Charleston, and get Colonel Oglesby's instructions to him by a messenger, if practicable, and when he is near enough you may join him. For this purpose you may substitute the remainder of your regiment in place of an equal amount from Colonel Marsh's. The two days' rations carried by your men in haversacks will enable you to join Colonel Oglesby's command, and there you will find rations enough for several days more should they be necessary. You make take a limited number of tents, and at Charleston press wagons to carry them to the main column. There you will find sufficient transportation to release the pressed wagons.

U. S. GRANT,

Brigadier-General.

Colonel W. H. L. WALLACE,

Bird's Point, Mo.

On the evening of the 6th I left this place in steamers, with McClernand's Brigade, consisting of Twenty-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Colonel N. B. Buford; Thirtieth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Colonel Philip B. Fouke; Thirty-first Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Colonel John A. Logan; Dollins' Company Independent Illinois Cavalry, Captain J. J. Dollins; Delano's Company Adams County Illinois Cavalry, Lieutenant J. K. Catlin; and Dougherty's Brigade, consisting of Twenty-second Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Hart; Seventh Regiment Iowa Volunteers, Colonel J. G. Lauman, amounting to 3,114 men of all arms, to make the demonstration against Columbus. I proceeded down the river to a point 9 miles below here, where we lay until next morning, on the Kentucky shore, which served to distract the enemy and led him to suppose that he was to be attacked in his strongly fortified position at Columbus.

About 2 o'clock on the morning of the 7th I received information from Colonel W. H. L. Wallace at Charleston [sent by a messenger on steamer W. H. B.] that he had learned from a reliable Union man that the enemy had been crossing troops from Columbus to Belmont the day before, for the purpose of following after and cutting off the forces under Colonel Oglesby. Such a move on his part seemed to me more than probable, and gave at once a twofold importance to my demonstration against the enemy-namely, the prevention of reinforcements to General Price, and the cutting off of the two small columns that I had sent, in