WASHINGTON, December 12, 1862.
Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS, Saint Louis:
GENERAL: Your communication of the 4th, in regard to the
Grenada expedition, is received and the explanations
satisfactory.
In the numerous telegram and dispatches sent from office daily
some errors will necessarily occur. The language of my
telegram of November 3 is perhaps a little ambiguous, but was
not intended to authorize the sending of troops from Helena to
Grenada. The first object of sending troops to Saint Helena
was stated to be the capture of Little Rock, which has been
continuously urged on me for the last six months. If that
could not be done then they would be used to-operate with
Grant's intended movement on Grenada. This was the idea
intended to be conveyed. It was by no mean intended that they
should be sent to Grenada. The President had directed that all
available troops on the Mississippi be sent to another place.
I consequently ordered General Grant not to move on Grenada,
but was informed by him that Steele had already moved from
Helena on Grenada, and if he (Grant) did not co-operate
Steele's forces might be cut off. This very much
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* See p. 413.
26 R R - VOL XVII, PT II
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Page402 WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS.
[CHAP.XXIX.
surprised me, as your suggestion to send them had not yet been
acted on. I was thus placed in a position where I could not
carry out the President's wishes either by moving the Helena
forces on Little Rock or down the Mississippi River. As I had
neither ordered nor consented to the sending of these troops
into the interior of Mississippi I was exceedingly annoyed at
its being done at the very time when they were wanted
elsewhere. On referring to my telegram of November 3 I find
that its words are not fully expressive of my meaning.
The movements on the Western rivers are frequently determined
on by the joint action of War and Navy Departments, and it
sometimes happens that I can give no answer to the proposed
plans of our generals in the West.
In regard to the proposed expedition down the Mississippi and its commander I can give you no reply. I have been informed that the President has selected a special commander, and that instructions have been or will be given to him by the War Department. If so they have not been communicated to me, and
until I receive them I shall consider the officer of the
highest rank as the commander, whoever he may be. Probably the
whole matter will be decided on in a few days, but how I do
not know.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.