My dear Colonel,—Can
you not wake up the authorities to the great danger of our army here, and
necessarily of the Mississippi Valley, from lack of proper organization-all due
to a want of brigadiers? I have been trying for the last month and over,
indeed, before I left Centreville, to have a certain number of them appointed,
but all to no purpose. Are we, for the sake of a little economy in the pay of
said officers, to jeopardize all we have at stake in this contest? Why, then,
not authorize generals in the field to appoint acting
brigadier and major generals, when in their judgment required, but without
additional pay, until approved of by the President or Congress?
Bragg, Polk, and
myself applied, a few days ago, for ten general officers; today we are informed
that four are appointed, of whom two can't be here for one week! in the
meantime a part of this army is in a state of chaos, and fifteen thousand
new levies will soon be in the field! What in the world shall I do with them?
Will not Heaven open the eyes and senses of our rulers? Where in the world are
we going to, if not to destruction? Time is all-precious now; the enemy will
soon be upon us, and, to cap the climax, I cannot get well. I am better, but
the least excitement throws me back. We must cheer up, however. With good
troops and enough of them, there is a chance, at this moment, of making a
beautiful ten strike, but it would be risking too much in the
present condition of affairs; we would lose too much if I failed. The problem
here is very difficult. I have to look to the safety of this army and yet keep
the Mississippi River closed; the latter a most difficult undertaking with our
present means. By-the-bye, there were six brigades in Polk's army without
brigadier-generals, commanded by colonels according to rank. You may imagine
what kind of commanders some of them make, and what kind of brigades they have!
I enclose you copy
of a telegram sent this day to the War Department. My kind regards to friends.
SOURCE: Alfred Roman,
The Military Operations of General
Beauregard in the War Between the States: 1861 to 1865, Vol. 1, pp. 512-3
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