Samuel R. Curtis to N. P. CoipMAN, Helena, January 2, 1863

Col. N. P. CoipMAN, Helena : DEAR COLONEL: Happy New Year to you and the general. I wrote the general before noon, but the express carrier will stay till to-worrow. Your letter of the 27th is received, giving first news of our boats entering Yazoo River. I suppose things would not, could not, come together according to plans made on such a varying sliding scale. General Sherman’s letters disclose (as they should not) his forces, Grant’s, and all their movements, and it is easy to see there is not one chance in five these moves can meet. Still, if Sherman gets ahead of the rebel pa he may find a small force only at Vicksburg and take it easily. When Commodore Davis and myself went up to Cairo, and proposed the move, Memphis had a small garrison and was not near as strong as now. I have great confidence in our troops, but wish we had more cool and sagacious arrangements for the great river move. The general’s whole line seems to have been left in a crazy kind of style, and General Davies seems to have been quite possessed. I have been doing all in my power to save the fragments, and hope things are now about safe. All the officers who, like myself, have served on the Arkansas concur with me in saying that river will only do fora dash. If a fleet goes up it there is no safety ; it is more than likely to be caught by a fall that leaves the boats high and dry. The weather continues rainy, and the river is in fine condition. If the rain continues it will help us. Helena is the only dry spot when the river is high, and if these rains continue, as I said in a former letter we may be inundated at Napoleon before sixty days. However had the roads may be, we must use them in any move west, for we cannot get boats enough to carry all the equipment of a proper force up those shallow or small rivers. Swamps will have to be bridged and difficulties overcome, let us go either vay. General J. H. Lane says Blunt and Herron are both made majorgenerals. They have disposed of Hindman’s army, so tar as the West is concerned. I expect it will now join Holmes somewhere near Little Rock. My table is overrun with business, and I must not indulge my pen. Colonel Colburn has joined my staff. Think he appears well disposed for duty. He and Carr have both served long in Arkansas, and both say the Arkansas River is a trap. Give my regards to all my friends and my denunciations to my toes. [ am told by a man direct from Arkansas that the rebels have included me among those who are to have no quarter. I am sorry indeed to hear of the loss of Mrs. Craig’s house by burning. It was so beautiful, I feel as if it must indeed be mourned. Alas, this is war; although it was the negroes who did it, still, it is the result of war. The President has, as you will see, issued his mandate declaring all slaves in Arkansas and Mississippi free. I hope there will be no further attempt to ignore my free papers in Arkansas. All join in kind regards. Very truly, your friend, SAML. R. CURTIS, Major-General. Saint Louis, Mo., January 3, 1863. M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster-General : Bearer of dispatches from Vicksburg left there Sunday noon. General Sherman was fighting his way back to Vicksburg. Steamer Blue Wing, with ordnance stores, taken- by the rebels and carried up the Arkansas. I have urged that every transport boat should be armed with two small howitzers. Why not doit? Such a loss costs more than howitzers to arm the whole fleet. Can’t this be done? It should be.

SAML. R. CURTIS,