HEADQUARTERS FOURTH BRIGADE, GEORGIA MILITIA, R. W. B. ELLIOTT, Assistant Adjutant-General: SIR: In accordance with instructions from General McLaws I proceeded on yesterday to this point. I left Colonel Sims, with the Twelfth Regiment, at the west end of Ogeechee bridge, with instructions to hold that and King's Bridge. I have made my headquarters, with two regiments, on the island on the east side of Morgan's Lake. I have a com pany posted at the eastern trestle-work of this crossing, a guard at the east end of the main bridge. At Johnston Station there is a militia company from McIntosh County, picketing down the river. At Doctor Town, on the west side of the river, there are three small companies of militia; they have sent a scouting party up the river on the east side, and have mounted pickets, one at Clark's Bluff and one at Pinhominy, both below on the west side of the river. My position here is such that I can go easily to either side of the river. My force is, however, not large; the brigade is a small one at best, and many of the men dropped out at home on their way here. I have, aggregate, at Ogeechee, 147 men; at Altamaha, 220 men. I could not make a more equal distribution without breaking the regiments, which, in consequence of the want of field officers, I did not think wise. We are now on the second day without regular rations. The movements of the enemy yesterday indicate a tendency toward Savannah. You should press down upon him, keep in his front, cut off his foraging parties, and skirmish with him hourly. He should not be allowed to get between you and Savannah. The officers who tore up the railroad bridge should be removed. General WHEELER: BRAXTON BRAGG. AUGUSTA, December 2, 1864. Have your scout well to the rear of the enemy, and be prepared to strike. I leave here this evening with 10,000 men; will be followed by portion of General Wade Hampton's cavalry, under General Young. Answer by 9 o'clock, if possible, or have courier meet me at Waynesborough. BRAXTON BRAGG. HEADQUARTERS WILLIAMS' KENTUCKY BRIGADE, Junction of Waynesborough and Warrenton and Farmer's Bridge Roads, December 2, 1864—5 p. m. ASST. ADJT. GEN., WHEELER'S CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT: Since receiving General Wheeler's order to report to General Cobb I have been operating in the rear of the left flank of the enemy; have been engaged several times. I followed Howard's Right Wing, consisting of Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, to near McIntyre's, on Central railroad; then moved to Milledgeville, and crossed the Oconee; then by forced march crossed Ogeechee at Fenn's Bridge. I have reason to believe the Fifteenth Corps crossed Oconee at Jackson's Ferry, two miles above Central railroad bridge; the Seventeenth, at Ball's Ferry, six miles below the railroad. I struck the Twentieth Corps on Tuesday a mile and a half from Louisville, on the Fenn's Bridge road; on Wednesday the Fourteenth Corps, two miles and a half from Louisville, on Patterson's Bridge road, and three miles from Louisville, on Farmer's Bridge road; and on yesterday had a very severe fight with a large cavalry force (part of Kilpatrick's corps) nine miles from Louisville, on the Waynesborough road. I have lost many men and valuable officers, and I have captured some prisoners; some I sent to Macon, some turned over to General Ferguson, with whom have been co-operating, though not under his orders, he thinking it best for us to act independently, but close enough to support each other. A large force of cavalry and at least two divisions of infantry, scouts report, left Louisville yesterday morning. The infantry_encamped on the place of Mrs. Netherland, some thirteen miles from Louisville. I think the main force of Slocum have passed down the two Savannah roads— the one to Birdville, the other near the railroad. If I do not receive orders to-night I will move to the Waynesborough road, thence to the Birdville road. I have not definite information of your headquarters. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. C. P. BRECKINRIDGE, Major-General WHEELER: HEADQUARTERS LEWIS' BRIGADE, GENERAL: At the time of receiving your order to halt where I was I had three regiments with me, about three-quarters of a mile from Waynesborough, on Ray's Bridge road, the remaining two regiments on their way from railroad to Ray's Bridge to join me at Waynesborough. Apprehending an attempt of the enemy to reach Ray's Bridge, I left one regiment near Waynesborough and two others disposed and fortified on the road toward the bridge. One regiment is here at this point and the other at railroad bridge. I have sent scouts on all the roads in the direction of Millen. I have not sent scouts in the direction of No. 9 or Louisville, for the reason that I met a scouting party sent by you from Harrison's brigade upon those roads. No enemy have appeared in front of Waynesborough, or nearer than four miles. I have received direct and reliable information that no enemy had been at Millen up to 8 a. m., nor have they been seen anywhere east or below Waynesborough and Millen road. An intelligent gentleman now present, Dr. T. A. Ward, states the first bridge below railroad bridge is Ray's, two miles in air line; Thompson's, six miles below Ray's; Gadby's, six or seven miles below Thompson's; Ellison's, seven or eight miles below Ellison's [Thompson's?]. To each of these bridges I send immediately an officer and five men as you direct. I think, with my brigade in its present disposition, that I can hold the enemy in check for some time. Respectfully, yours, &c., JOS. H. LEWIS, GRAHAMVILLE, December 2, 1864. General SAMUEL JONES: Troops coming from Augusta must not stop in Charleston, but be hurried forward to Savannah. I leave for Savannah this afternoon. W. J. HARDEE, Lieutenant-General. Maj. Gen. SAMUEL JONES: GRAHAMVILLE, December 2, 1864. Send Captain Brooks with the 270 men to Savannah instead of Grahamville. W. J. HARDEE, Lieutenant-General. AUGUSTA, December 2, 1864. General SAMUEL JONES: Thirteen hundred South Carolina militia, under Colonel De Saussure, will leave here for Savannah at 6 p. m. Provide transportation to Savannah on their arrival. By command of General Bragg: M. B. McMICKEN, Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief Quartermaster. RICHMOND, December 2, 1864. [General BRAXTON BRAGG:] GENERAL: I trust you will pardon my presumption in writing you on military subjects, but my knowledge of the country and the railway lines in Georgia and South Carolina emboldens me to offer a sugges tion, which I am certain you will receive in the spirit in which it is offered. Of course it will occur to you that the moment the enemy reaches Millen, iu Georgia, and any point on the Charleston and Savannah Railroad in South Carolina, Savannah becomes hopelessly isolated, and can neither raise re-enforcements from Augusta or Charleston, nor send any to either of those places. Some place must be given up, however, and it were better Savannah than Charleston. But there is a large amount of most valuable rolling-stock at Savannah, and many locomotives, tools, machine shops, cotton and tobacco. The cotton and tobacco should be destroyed, if necessary, and the rolling-stock, &c., run out before the Charleston and Savannah road is cut. Should Sherman reach any point on that road, or a column come out from Beaufort and occupy it, everything of value in Savannah must be lost; for if well out on the Gulf road to Thomasville, a raiding party of 1,000 men would find no difficulty in destroying it. It is impossible for us here to say where Sherman is going. Your last telegram left him at No. 9, ten miles above Millen. Supposing the rear column may reach Grahamville, he may move down the Central road to Savannah, in which case no concentration can be made against him, as he would tear up the road as he advanced, whilst both flanks would be protected, the one by the Savannah and the other by the Ogeechee River. Such forces as might be at Savannah, unable to escape to Charleston and beyond the reach of re-enforcements, would have to retire toward Thomasville. Indeed, if the enemy should establish himself on the Charleston and Savannah road-either by moving up from the sea and down from Georgia-Savannah, Southern Georgia, and all Florida would pass into his hands. This will be evident upon an inspection of the map. It would seem to be of the first importance, therefore, to save the movable railway property at Savannah, of which there is a large amount, and to do this it must be removed before the Charleston and Savannah road is cut, unless Sherman cross the river opposite Millen, in which case it might be moved up the Central road to that point. Of Sherman's ultimate object there can be but little doubt, viz, the reduction of Savannah or Charleston. If the former, then he will establish a water base there and throw forward his advance to Millen, and thus cut our communications. If Charleston be his object, as it probably is, then his establishment at that place would leave him only sixty miles to march to reach Branchville, where he would place himself astride the only line by which we can communicate with the South. In this event his base would be unassailable and his flanks, admirably protected by a river and swamp on either hand, would be free from attack. For four years the enemy has tried to penetrate the Confederacy from the north and east by land. He reached Atlanta it is true, but found it impossible to keep open his communications, since the further he advanced the longer and more difficult of defense became his base and line of communication. This policy, it now appears, has been changed. Hereafter he will operate from the sea or some of its tributaries. This makes his lease safe, and renders it easy to protect his short communications. This policy reduces the length of his communications to sixty miles from Charleston to Branchville, whereas before it was near 500 miles from Louisville to Atlanta. After Charleston, Wilmington will probably be the next point of attack, and then Richmond. These ideas have been floating through my mind. There may be nothing in them. If so, you will be sure to find it out and no barm will come of them. All I can hope is that you will excuse me for presuming to send them to you. It strikes me that your suggestion of concentration is the only alternative left us, and should be adopted. We must make up our minds to abandon some place and concentrate for a stubborn resistance. There is nothing new here. I do not think Grant has the least idea of attacking Lee. He is only maneuvering to prevent his sending re-enforcements to Georgia. Colonel Forsyth is here and well. The president has disapproved of the finding in the case of his son Charles. Very truly, yours, P. W. ALEXANDER. |