John M. Schofield to Henry W. Halleck, January 31, 1863

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C. :

GENERAL: Pardon me for suggesting that the forces under command of Davidson, Warren, and myself might be made available in the opening of the Mississippi, should that result not be accomplished quickly.

Before I left Saint Louis, it was understood that I should be informed when expeditions were ready to start up the Arkansas and White Rivers, so that I might march down the Arkansas Valley and join them; but there seems to have been no concert of action in the matter. I got no news of the movement of those expeditions until they had returned.

General Curtjs now informs me that it is impossible to get supplies by either river at present, and hence that we have nothing to do but to wait until the Arkansas River shall be permanently held by the forces from below. I have suggested to the general that, possibly, transports and supplies might be sent up one river or the other to meet us. We would then be in position to hold the rivers, and strike out from Little Rock, or go down and assist in the attack on Vicksburg, as might be advisable.

The river may be open before this letter can reach you, and again it may not a month hence. I see no necessity for our lying idle to await so uncertain a contingency. On the contrary, I believe we may be placed in position to add much to the probability of speedy success in the effort to open the Mississippi.

There is no considerable force of the enemy north of the Arkansas River; indeed, I believe they have all gone, or are going as rapidly as possible, to Vicksburg.

Ten thousand infantry and artillery can be spared from Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas, and can easily reach Vicksburg in twenty days from the time the order is given. If it be found unnecessary to go farther than Little Rock, so much the better. We will then be in position to operate toward Arkadelphia, where the enemy has gone, if he has not gone beyond.

The war is, of course, ended in this part of the country, at least fora long time to come, and I am impatient of this long idleness.

very respectfully,