A.J.Smith may go from the north, but I think it doubtful.
A force of twenty-eight or thirty thousand will cooperate with you from Newbern or Wilmington, or both.

You can call for reenforcements.
This will be handed you by Captain Hudson, of my staff, who will return with any message you may have for me.

If there is any thing I can do for you in the way of having supplies on shipboard, at any point on the seacoast, ready for you, let me know it.
Yours truly, U.S.GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD, POCOTALIGO, SOUTH CAROLINA, January 29, 1885.
Lieutenant-General U.S.GRANT, City Point, Virginia.
DEAR GENERAL: Captain Hudson has this moment arrived with your letter of January 21st, which I have read with interest.
The capture of Fort Fisher has a most important bearing on my campaign, and I rejoice in it for many reasons, because of its intrinsic importance, and because it gives me another point of security on the seaboard.

I hope General Terry will follow it up by the capture of Wilmington, although I do not look for it, from Admiral Porter's dispatch to me.

I rejoice that Terry was not a West-Pointer, that he belonged to your army, and that he had the same troops with which Butler feared to make the attempt.
Admiral Dahlgren, whose fleet is reenforced by some more ironclads, wants to make an assault a la Fisher on Fort Moultrie, but I withhold my consent, for the reason that the capture of all Sullivan's Island is not conclusive as to Charleston; the capture of James Island would be, but all pronounce that impossible at this time.