HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CAIRO,
Cairo, February 1, 1862.

Brigadier General C. F. SMITH,

Commanding U. S. Forces, Paducah, Ky.:

I am instructed by Brigadier-General Grant to say that the preparations for reducing Fort Henry required of you will be the same as stated in his communication of yesterday, with the exception that you will take all the available forces, including cavalry, which can be spared from Paducah and Smithland, leaving only such forces as may be absolutely necessary to hold these places against attack.

[JNO. A. RAWLINS,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CAIRO, No. 5.
Cairo, February 1, 1862.

For the temporary government the forces of this military district will be divided and commanded as follows, to wit:

The First Brigade will consist of the Eighth, Eighteenth, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first Regiments of Illinois Volunteers, Schwartz's, and Dresser's batteries, and Stewart's, Dollins', O'Harnett, and Carmichael's cavalry, Colonel R. J. Oglesby, senior colonel of the brigade, commanding.

The Second Brigade will consist of the Eleventh, Twentieth, Forty-fifth, and Forty-eighth Illinois Infantry, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Taylor's, and McAllister's artillery (the latter with four siege guns), Colonel W. H. L. Wallace commanding.

The First and Second Brigades will constitute the First Division of the District of Cairo, and will be commanded by Brigadier General John A. McClernand.

The Third Brigade will consist of the Eighth Wisconsin, Forty-ninth Illinois, Twelfth-fifth Indiana, four companies of artillery, and such troops as are yet to arrive, Brigadier General E. A. Paine commanding.

The Fourth Brigade will be composed of the Tenth, Sixteenth, Twenty-second, and Thirty-second Illinois, and Tenth Iowa Infantry, Houghtaling's battery of light artillery, four companies of the Seventh and two companies of the First Illinois Cavalry, Colonel Morgan commanding.

General E. A. Paine is assigned to the command of Cairo and Mound City and Colonel Morgan to the command of Bird's Point.

U. S. GRANT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

SAINT LOUIS, February 2, 1862.

Brigadier General D. C. BUELL, Louisville, Ky.:

GENERAL: Yours of the 30the ultimo is just received. At present it is only proposed to take and occupy Fort Henry and Dover [Donelson], and, if possible, but the railroad from Columbus to Bowling Green. The roads are in such a horrible condition that troops cannot move by land. How far we may venture to send the gunboats up the river will be left for after consideration. The mortar boats are a failure; they cannot be taken up the river, and it remains to be determined whether the gunboats are worth half the money spent on them. Only a portion of