Jan 18 1862 Wrote Gen. McClernand, “The object of our expedition having been accomplished, all the forces will now be withdrawn to their former positions as expeditiously as practicable.  A guard will be left at this place, O’Neal’s Mills, and at the bridge above until you have passed, and none of the force will leave Fort Jefferson until your advance has arrived there.

“There are some supplies here for a portion of your command and I should have been glad could you have made this point tonight.  If the state of the roads makes it impracticable it will make no material difference.

“The country has now be reconnoitered from Puntney’s Bend to the railroad South of Columbus.  The enemy has shown himself in no place, unless to your command since I heard from you, except yesterday at Puntney’s Bend.  I went down there yesterday with about 100 Cavalry and finding that I should be in the night getting to Fort Jefferson, sent a note to Capt. Porter requesting him to drop down there with the gunboats to convoy a steamer to take my Cavalry up.  He found the place occupied by a rebel gunboat and the land by about the same amount of Cavalry that i had with me.  They left probably twenty minutes before my arrival.”

The Papers of Ulysses S Grant, Vol 4, p67-8

O.R., I, vii, 560