HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE Mississippi,
Young's Point, La., January 23, 1863.

Major General U. S. GRANT,

Comdg. Dept. of the Tennessee:

GENERAL: I add this as a supplement to my letter of yesterday's date.

By to-morrow evening I except to be able to command the Mississippi River, a few miles below Vicksburg, with a battery of 20-pounder Parrotts, which I intend to plant upon the bank.

Your obedient servant,

JOHN A. McClernand.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. Fifteenth ARMY CORPS, Number 6. Young's Point, La., January 23, 1863.

Commanders of regiments will immediately unload their boats and bring all the camp and garrison equipage and transportation to near their present position, where they will make camps under direction of the commanders of brigades.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

J. H. HAMMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
La Grange, Tenn., January 23, 1863.

Brigadier General J. G. LAUMAN,

Comdg. THIRD DIVISION:

I am directed by the commanding officer of this DIVISION (Colonel J. A. McDowell) to say that we have information of a large cavalry force, under Van Dorn, having left Grenada a week since; destination unknown. Also that a large force of the enemy are reported upon good authority to be 15 miles east of Grand Junction, supposed to be the same as above. Scouts have gone out to-night, and a reconnaissance by the cavalry will be made to-morrow. Will let you know the result when they return.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. A. PARTRIDGE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

P. S. -Van Dorn has seven pieces of artillery.

JACKSON, January 23, 1863-3. 45 p. m.

Major-General GRANT:

As soon as I received Colonel Moore's report, I ordered out detachments to river, and am prepared to meet them. My orders from General Hamilton were positive: as soon as stores were removed to call in my troops and be prepared to move. I have not done so, deeming it very imprudent at present; the orders have been kept secret by me, and I have made no movements that look like evacuating. I requested General Asboth to send an infantry force, under protection of gunboat, up the river and destroy the ferries. I will promise to destroy any rebel force that crosses.

JER. C. SULLIVAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.