Willis A. Gorman to Major-General CURTIS, January 18, 1863

Major-General CURTIS, Commanding Department of the Missouri :

GENERAL: By dispatches just received last evening from General McClernand, I am informed that there is not yet sufficient water in the Arkansas River to enable him to advance on Little Rock safely. He also announces that he has been ordered by General Grant to Napoleon at once.

General Grant has informed General McClernand that he is about to re-enforce him with one division of his army, one brigade from General Curtis, and one brigade from General Wright.

General McClernand has sent an order to General Fisk direct to report to him “immediately at Napoleon, or wherever he may be.” This, you see, leaves me powerless for any practical purpose again. My cavalry, sent by land from Helena to Olarendon (about 1,200), are waterbound and utterly powerless, owing to the late snows and rain, and gives me some apprehensions for the safety of the horses for want of forage, as the country is utterly inaccessible for any distance. I shall go to see General McClernand at once, but will bold this river at Clarendon and Saint Charles for the present.

The country between this point and Little Rock is utterly impassable for either infantry, artillery, or cavalry. It is one vast level plain, and mostly prairie, covered with bogs and bayous, and scarcely any settlements.

The railroad to this point is in good order, and the rebels have a pontoou bridge at Little Rock. But I find I cannot tow up coal this high to supply the gunboats. All the transports I have fully supplied with axes to cut wood, but gunboats cannot burn wood, and must have coal.

The river above Clarendon is so crooked that it is with great difficulty that the large boats can turn the bends, and I have not enough small ones.

As your instructions have always been to lend any possible aid to the movements on the Mississippi River, I will obey the request of General McClernand for General Fisk’s brigade, and hold Clarendon and Saint Charles, the former only being 15 miles by land from this bluff, and no force dare venture to hold this place, as Clarendon seriously imperils their right flank and the railroad in their rear.

Much. general, has been accomplished by this move. All the enemy have abandoned the east side of the Arkansas River, and left the whole of Eastern Arkansas free of rebel forces.

I assure you our fleet looked formidable, whether it was so or not, and has caused all the people in this section to give up hope of its being held by the rebels again.

I am, general, very truly,

your obedient servant,