To Mrs. Lyon
March 2, 1862.—Col. Murphy sent orders for Company K to be ready for marching. He is trying to join an expedition down at New Madrid, which is below Columbus, to cut off communication from that point down the river. It looks as though they would have a fight at Columbus.
We hear that a large force of our troops is also concentrating at Paducah, 50 miles up the Ohio, and everything looks like a movement on Columbus. We thought after the fall of Donelson that we should get Columbus without a fight, but the indications now are that the rebels will make a stand there.
