General Robert E. Lee to John C. Breckinridge, February 19, 1865

HEADQUARTERS, PETERSBURG, February 19, 1865.

HIS EXCELLENCY J. C. BRECKINRIDGE,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.

SIR: The accounts received today from South and North Carolina are unfavorable. General Beauregard reports from Winnsborough that four corps of the enemy are advancing on that place, tearing up the Charlotte Railroad, and they will probably reach Charlotte by the 24th and before he can concentrate his troops there. He states that General Sherman will doubtless move thence on Greensboro, Danville, and Petersburg, or unite with General Schofield at Raleigh or Weldon.

General Bragg reports that General Schofield is now preparing to advance from New Berne to Goldsboro, and that a strong expedition is moving against Weldon Railroad at Rocky Mount. He says that little or no assistance can be received from the State of North Carolina — that exemptions and reorganizations under late laws have disbanded the State forces, and that they will not be ready for the field for some time.

I do not see how Sherman can make the march anticipated by General Beauregard, but he seems to have everything his own way; which is calculated to cause apprehension. General Beauregard does not say what he proposes or what he can do. I do not know where his troops are or on what lines they are moving. His dispatches only give movements of the enemy. He has a difficult task to perform under present circumstances, and one of his best officers, General Hardee, is incapacitated by sickness. I have also heard that his own health is indifferent, though he has never so stated. Should his strength give way, there is no one on duty in the department that could replace him, nor have I any one to send there. Gen. J. E. Johnston is the only officer whom I know who has the confidence of the army and people, and if he was ordered to report to me I would place him there on duty. It is necessary to bring out all our strength, and, I fear, to unite our armies, as separately they do not seem able to make head against the enemy. Everything should be destroyed that cannot be removed out of the reach of Generals Sherman and Schofield. Provisions must be accumulated in Virginia, and every man in all the States must be brought off. I fear it may be necessary to abandon all our cities, and preparation should be made for this contingency.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

R. E. Lee,

General.

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 354-5

Major General William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, March 26, 1865

ON BOARD STEAMER Russia

At Sea, Sunday, March 26, 1865.

The railroad was finished yesterday into Goldsboro and I came down to Newbern and Morehead City and am now in a fleet blockade runner on my way to meet General Grant at City Point to confer on some points, when I shall forthwith go back to Goldsboro and get ready for another campaign. There is no doubt we have got the Rebels in a tight place and must not let them have time to make new plans. They abandoned all their cities to get men enough to whip me but did not succeed. They may unite Johnston and Lee, when if they make the further mistake of holding on to Richmond, I can easily take Raleigh and the Roanoke, when Richmond will be of little use to them. If Lee lets go of Richmond the people of Virginia will give up. I regard my two moves from Atlanta to Savannah and Savannah to Goldsboro as great blows as if we had fought a dozen successful battles. At Bentonsville, Johnston attempted to prevent my making a junction with Schofield, but he failed and I drove him off the field with my own army without the help of a man from Schofield, also got all my armies at Goldsboro the 21st of March, only one day from the time appointed. I will now conduct with great care another move. I have all the army I want and can take an hundred thousand if I want them. . . . The ship is pitching a good deal, we are just off Hatteras, and I cannot write more. . . .

SOURCES: M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Editor, Home Letters of General Sherman, p. 336-7.  A full copy of this letter can be found in the William T Sherman Family papers (SHR), University of Notre Dame Archives (UNDA), Notre Dame, IN 46556, Folder CSHR 2/21

Major General George B. McClellan to Abraham Lincoln, June 20, 1862

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

Camp Lincoln, June 20, 1862 – 2 p. m.

Your Excellency's dispatch of 11 a.m. received, also that of General Sigel.

I have no doubt that Jackson has been re-enforced from here. There is reason to believe that General R. S. Ripley has recently joined Lee's army with a brigade or division from Charleston. Troops have arrived recently from Goldsborough. There is not the slightest reason to suppose that the enemy intends evacuating Richmond. He is daily increasing his defenses. I find him everywhere in force, and every reconnaissance costs many lives, yet I am obliged to feel my way foot by foot at whatever cost, so great are the difficulties of the country. By to-morrow night the defensive works covering our position on this side of the Chickahominy should be completed. I am forced to this by my inferiority in numbers, so that I may bring the greatest possible numbers into action and secure the army against the consequences of unforeseen disaster. I would be glad to have permission to lay before Your Excellency, by letter or telegraph, my views as to the present state of military affairs throughout the whole country. In the mean time I would be pleased to learn the disposition as to numbers and position of the troops not under my command in Virginia and elsewhere.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 11, Part 1 (Serial No. 12), p. 48.  A copy of this telegram can be found in The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress

Major General William T. Sherman to Senator John Sherman, April 8, 1865

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

AT SEA, April 8, 1865.  Steamer Russia.

Dear Brother:

We are now running in from Cape Henry Light and expect to reach Old Point by ten o'clock to-night. The ship vibrates so I can hardly write, but I must give you a few items. I have been to Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, and Morehead City, closing up certain matters, whilst my army is marching up from Raleigh to Richmond. I will look for the advance at City Point by the 11th, and hope we will be ordered on to Washington to be mustered out. The South is whipped and submissive, and if any statesmanship is displayed will be the last part of our country to rebel again. Thirty thousand surrendered at Goldsboro, and other scattered bands are surrendering at Tallahassee, Macon, Augusta, and different posts, that will swell the number to 50,000. We might as well have had Taylor's army in Alabama, and Smith's in Texas, but of that hereafter. On my way up the coast I met the New York papers of the 24th and 28th, which were dead against me. Of course I expected that, but I did not expect Halleck and Stanton. They suppressed everything, save parts that by context with matters I never saw made a plausible case, but when I make my official report of the whole you will appreciate the game they have attempted. I met Mr. Chase at Morehead City, and even he was surprised to learn what I knew and told him, and I have from him the clue to the whole, which I must suppress for the time being.

Grant at Raleigh got his eyes opened also. I expect to spend the summer in Ohio, and we can discuss everything with my books and records before you; but in the meantime do not commit yourself to any plan of reconstruction, but let Stanton try his hand and watch the consequences. My belief is that to force the enfranchised negroes, as “loyal” voters at the South, will produce new riot and war, and I fear Sumner, Wilson, and men of that school will force it on the Government or prolong the war ad infinitum. My army won't fight in that war. The slaves are free, but are not yet voters. The time has not yet come. Such a course will alienate a strength your party cannot spare. Don't fear me turning politician. Nothing changes my unalterable resolution, and you may so announce it. . . .

Yours,

W. T. SHERMAN

SOURCE: Rachel Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The Sherman Letters: Correspondence Between General and Senator Sherman from 1837 to 1891, p. 247-8

Major General Henry W. Halleck to Edwin M. Stanton, April 26, 1865, 9:30 p.m.

RICHMOND, VA., April 26, 1865 – 9.30 p. m.

(Received 10.45 p. m.)

Hon. E. M. STANTON, Washington:

Generals Meade, Sheridan, and Wright are acting under orders to pay no regard to any truce or orders of General Sherman suspending hostilities, on the ground that Sherman’s agreements could bind his own command only and no other. They are directed to push forward, regardless of orders from anyone except General Grant, and cut off Johnston's retreat. Beauregard has telegraphed to Danville that a new arrangement had been made with Sherman, and that the advance of the Sixth Corps was to be suspended till further orders. I have telegraphed back to obey no orders of General Sherman, but to push forward as rapidly as possible. The bankers here have information today that Jeff. Davis’ specie is moving south from Goldsborough in wagons as fast as possible. I suggest that orders be telegraphed through General Thomas that Wilson obey no orders of Sherman, and notifying him and General Canby and all commanders on the Mississippi River to take measures to intercept the rebel chiefs and their plunder. The specie taken with them is estimated here at from six to thirteen millions.

 H. W. HALLECK,     

 Major-General, Commanding.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 46, Part 3 (Serial No. 97), p. 953-4

Major General William T. Sherman to Senator John Sherman, April 6, 1865

[Goldsboro, North Carolina, April 6, 1865.]

Railroads work well, our supplies are well up, and we shall march next Monday, April 10. The next two months will demonstrate whether we can manœuver Lee out of Richmond and whip him in open battle.

SOURCE: Rachel Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The Sherman Letters: Correspondence Between General and Senator Sherman from 1837 to 1891, p. 246

From North Carolina

BALTIMORE, March 30. – The rebels burnt the bridge on the railroad between Newbern and Beaufort, North Carolina, but it was in progress of repair and the road would soon be in operation between the two places.  So far as our informants know, all of who came from Newbern, it had not been burned.  There was not much destruction of property at the latter place, and a large majority of the citizens remained quietly in their homes on the approach of the Federal forces.  Perfect order reigned at Newbern and a number of citizens had returned to the place.  Gen. Foster is military Governor of the city.  The rebels were believed to be in strong force towards Kingston, thirty five miles on the road to Goldsboro, and their scouts frequently appeared in the vicinity of Newbern.

The expedition to Washington was successful; it consisted of about one thousand men with an escort of gunboats.  Two companies of the Massachusetts 22nd regiment landed and took the place.  The stars and stripes were nailed to a tree before the court house and left there.  The citizens received the invaders without any apparent excitement or apprehension – some few expressing Union sentiments, whilst the mass had nothing to say either way.  After holding the place one day and gaining all the information they could, the expedition returned to Newbern.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4