Page images
PDF
EPUB

ན་

[blocks in formation]

SERIES I-VOLUME XLVII—IN THREE PARTS.
PART II-CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

[blocks in formation]

E464 451 ser. I v.47 pt.2

PART II.-VOL. XLVII.

CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA (FROM FEBRUARY 1), SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTHERN GEORGIA, AND EAST FLORIDA, FROM JANUARY 1, 1865, TO MARCH 23, 1865.*

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

CITY POINT, VA., January 1, 1865-3.30 p.m.
(Received 5 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

Chief of Staff:

I sent instructions to Sherman which advised that Foster should organize all the colored troops he could for his department. Negroes here would return white troops to their regiments, but you may direct General Meigs to send orders to Captain Strang to return without them. Please also instruct Sherman and Foster to retain all negroes South until the return of warm weather.

(Copy by Halleck to Meigs.)

U. S. GRANT,
Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, January 1, 1865. (Received 12th.)

Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN,

Savannah, Ga.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: Your letter of December 24 is received,† and I have just shown it to the Secretary of War, who expressed great pleasure and satisfaction in reading it. Your anticipations in regard to the Wilmington expedition have proved so correct that your reputation as a prophet may soon equal that as a general. Thank God, I had nothing to do with it, except to express the opinion that Butler's torpedo ship would have about as much effect on the forts as if he should

at them. I said about the same thing to the Secretary of War and General Grant before they consented to it. You ask me to criticise your plan of future operations. I fully agree with you that a central line on Branchville and Columbia offers more advantages than one on either Augusta or Charleston. The destruction of railroads and sup

For Correspondence, etc., from March 24, 1865, to June 30, 1865, see Part III. The Correspondence, etc., relating to operations in the State of North Carolina from January 1 to 31, 1865, is embraced in Vol. XLVI, Part II.

[graphic]

See Vol. XLIV, p. 798.

(3)

« PreviousContinue »