General Halleck, January 1, 1863
January 1, 1863.
You will at once stop all fortifying and intrenching of your present positions, and without noise have everything pertaining to your brigade loaded, packed, and moved back to the boats. Hach regiment will embark, if practicable, upon the same boats upon which they came.
Let one regiment do picket duty until 4 a. m. to-morrow, when they also will return to the landing. Let wagons gather up all the tools. You will please notify the Chicago batteries, A and B, also Hartâs battery and the 30-pounder Parrotts, that they may be in in time. All this must be done without noise or sign.
By order of Brig. Gen. A. J. Smith:
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
JANUARY 1, 1863, Major-General HURLBUT:
Sm: Your communication of 28th December is received. The troops of General Curtisâ command which are detained here are so detained
by order of General Halleck, to bold Columbus at all hazards and make
I have not been able to gain any reliable information south of this
place, all my scouts having been turned back or arrested until within a
few days, say two. This fact has compelled fne to act as against a maximum at all points in my command.
order to destroy the ammunition at Island No. 10 premature. I was well
informed of-the intentions of the enemy to turn my right and occupy
Hickman, which I had evacuated (having only 133 men there for duty),