[
396]
accounted for in the same manner as if purchased.
You are particularly enjoined to allow no foraging by your men. It is demoralizing in the extreme, and is apt to make open enemies where they would not otherwise exist.
Colonel J. B. Plummer, Eleventh Missouri volunteers, commanding Cape Girardean, was directed to send one regiment in the direction of
Bloomfield, with a view of attracting the attention of the enemy.
The forces under
Colonel Oglesby were all got off on the evening of the third.
On the fifth, a telegram was received from headquarters,
St. Louis, stating that the enemy was reinforcing
Price's army from
Columbus by way of
White river, and directing that the demonstration that had been ordered against
Columbus be immediately made.
Orders were accordingly at once given to the troops under my command that remained at
Cairo,
Bird's Point, and
Fort Holt.
A letter was also sent to
Brigadier-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 fifth to temporarily change the direction of
Colonel Oglesby's column toward New Madrid, and also to send a small force under
Colonel W. H. L. Wallace, Eleventh Illinois volunteers, to
Charleston, Missouri, to ultimately join
Colonel Oglesby.
In accordance with this determination, I addressed
Colonel Oglesby the following communication:
On receipt of this turn your column toward 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.
Which was sent to
Colonel Wallace with the following letter:
Herewith I send you an order to
Colonel Oglesby to change the direction of his column toward 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 may 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.
On the evening of the sixth 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 Phillip 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. R. Cattlin ;
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 three thousand one hundred and fourteen men of all arms, to make the demonstration against
Columbus.
I proceeded down the river to a point nine miles below here, where we lay until next morning, on the
Kentucky shore, which served to distract the enemy, and lead him to suppose that he was to be attacked in his strongly-fortified position at
Columbus.
About two o'clock on the morning of the seventh 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 two-fold 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 pursuance of directions, from this place and
Cape Girardeau in pursuit of
Jeff. Thompson.
This information determined me to attack vigorously his forces at
Belmont, knowing that, should we be repulsed, we could re-embark without difficulty under protection of the gunboats.
The following order was given:
on board steamer Belle Memphis, November 2, 1861, 2 o'clock
Special Order.
The troops composing the present expedition from this place, will move promptly at six o'clock this morning.
The gunboats will take the advance and be followed by the first brigade, under command of
Brigadier-General John A. McClernand, composed of all the troops from
Cairo and
Fort Holt.
The second brigade, comprising
