WAR DEPARTMENT,
May 24, 1862 — 6.50.
Major-General DIX:
Please send all the
force you can spare, to re-enforce Banks, speedily as possible.
EDWIN M. STANTON.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Edwin M. Stanton to Major-General John A. Dix, May 24, 1862 – 6:50 a.m.
Edwin M. Stanton to Major-General John C. Frémont, May 24, 1862 – 9:45 a.m.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
May 24, 1862 — 9.45 a.m.
Major-General FRéMONT, Franklin:
Yesterday the enemy
attacked and drove Banks' force from Front Royal, and are threatening Strasburg
and Winchester. If you can operate so as to afford him any support do so.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 12,
Part 1 (Serial No. 15), p. 642
Abraham Lincoln to Major-General John C. Frémont, May 24, 1862 – 4 p.m.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
May 24, 1862 — 4 p.m.
Major-General FRéMONT,
Franklin:
You are authorized
to purchase the 400 horses or take them wherever and however you can get them.
The exposed
condition of General Banks makes his immediate relief a point of paramount
importance. You are therefore directed by the President to move against Jackson
at Harrisonburg, and operate against the enemy in such way as to relieve Banks.
This movement must be made immediately. You will acknowledge the receipt of
this order and specify the hour it is received by you.
A. LINCOLN.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 12,
Part 1 (Serial No. 15), p. 643
Abraham Lincoln to Major-General Irvin McDowell, May 24, 1862 – 5 p.m.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
May 24, 1862 — 5 p.m.
Major-General
McDOWELL,
Fredericksburg:
General Frémont has
been ordered by telegraph to move from Franklin on Harrisonburg to relieve
General Banks, and capture or destroy Jackson's and Ewell's forces.
You are instructed,
laying aside for the present the movement on Richmond, to put 20,000 men in
motion at once for the Shenandoah, moving on the line or in advance of the line
of the Manassas Gap Railroad. Your object will be to capture the forces of
Jackson and Ewell, either in co-operation with General Frémont or, in case want
of supplies or of transportation interferes with his movements, it is believed
that the force with which you move will be sufficient to accomplish this object
alone. The information thus far received here makes it probable that if the
enemy operate actively against General Banks you will not be able to count upon
much assistance from him, but may even have to release him.
Reports received
this moment are that Banks is fighting with Ewell 8 miles from Winchester.
A. LINCOLN.
[Indorsement]
Order General
Shields to take up his line of march to-morrow for Catlett's.
I. McD.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 12,
Part 3 (Serial No. 18), p. 219
Edwin M. Stanton to Major-General Irvin McDowell, May 25, 1862
Washington, May 25, 1862.
Intelligence
received this morning shows that General Banks has been attacked in force at
Winchester and is retreating towards Harper's Ferry. The entire forces of
Jackson, Ewell, and Johnson are operating against Harper's Ferry. The Vanderbilt
was ordered up to Aquia creek yesterday with a view to bring up some force by
the river from your command. You had better have a regiment ready to embark at
a moment's warning. The movement ordered yesterday should be pressed forward
with all speed. The President thinks your field of operations at the present is
the one he has indicated.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
General Mcdowell.
SOURCE: Report of the
Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War: In Three Parts, Part 1. – The Army
of the Potomac, p. 275
Edwin M. Stanton to Governor Israel Wasburn Jr., May 25, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City, D.
C., May 25, 1862.
GOVERNOR OF MAINE:
Intelligence from
various quarters leaves no doubt that the enemy in great force are advancing on
Washington. You will please organize and forward immediately all the volunteer
and militia force in your State.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
(Same to the
Governors of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa.)
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 70
Edwin M. Stanton to Governor Andrew G. Curtin, May 25, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, D. C.,
May 25, 1862.
Governor CURTIN,
Harrisburg:
Send all the troops
forward that you can immediately. Banks is completely routed. The enemy are in
large force advancing upon Harper's Ferry.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary.
(Same to Governor
Andrew, Boston, and to Governor Sprague, Providence.)
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 70
Proclamation of Governor John A. Andrew, Sunday, May 25, 1862 – 11 p.m.
Men of Massachusetts! — The wily and barbarous horde
of traitors to the people, to the Government, to our country, and to liberty,
menace again the national capital. They have attacked and routed Maj.-Gen.
Banks, are advancing on Harper's Ferry, and are marching on Washington. The
President calls on Massachusetts to rise once more for its rescue and defence.
The whole active militia will be summoned by a general
order, issued from the office of the Adjutant-General, to report on Boston
Common to-morrow; they will march to relieve and avenge their brethren and
friends, and to oppose with fierce zeal and courageous patriotism the progress
of the foe.
May God encourage their hearts and strengthen their arms,
and may lie inspire the Government and all the people!
Given at Headquarters, Boston, 11 o'clock, this (Sunday)
evening, May 25, 1862.
JOHN A. ANDREW.
SOURCE: Appletons’
Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1862, Volume
2, p. 108
Diary of Edward Bates: November 27, 1861
And now (Nov 27)
Count Gurouski65 tells me that
Prentice66 has come out, in bitter denunciation of Cameron — in shape of a Washington correspondent of the
Louisville Journal. The Count
assumes, very reasonably, that Prentis is the author.
[Marginal Note.]
Since then, I learn that Prentice disclaims the authorship of the letter, and
says that Cameron was misunderstood.
Note, in this
connexion — The other day, Mr. Blair joked Cameron with a newspaper quotation (real or suppositious
[sic] ) to the effect that he (C.[ameron]) had fairly elbowed Fremont67
out of his place, and himself quietly taken his seat in [the] stern-sheets of
the Abolition boat!
Nov 27. No news
yet from Pensecola [sic], beyond the first rumor that our forces were
bombarding the rebel forts.68
From Mo. — a
telegram from Gov Gamble69 confirms the report [that] Genl. Price70
has turned and is moving north towards the centre of the State. This movement
is, I think not prompted by Price himself, as a separate enterprise agst. Mo.,
but is part of the genl. plan of the enemy. As long ago as last March, I told
the Cabinet that the real struggle must be in the valley of the Mississippi.71
And now, that it is apparent that the rebel army of the Potomac can do nothing
but hold the Capitol [sic] in siege, and that the enemy cannot defend the
seaboard, it is the obvious policy of the enemy to [strengthen] the defence of
the Mississippi, and to that end, they must fortify the river, and for that
purpose they must have time to remove men and artillery, and therefore it is
wise in him to keep us fully occupied in Mo. and Kentucky.
That is clearly
the policy of the enemy. And as clearly it is our policy to assume the
aggressive, and, at almost any hazard, to cut his communications, and prevent
as far as possible, the removal of heavy guns from the East to the west — from
Va. and the coast to the Missi[ssippi].
Today I spent
chiefly in business preliminary to the coming session of the S.[upreme]
C.[ourt] called at the clerk's office, ex[amine]d. the docket, the C[our]t.
room, my own closet, and recd, many kind suggestions from Mr. Carroll,72
the clerk, about the details of business. Called on C.[hief] J.[ustice] Taney,73
and had a conversation much more pleasant than I expected. Called also on Judge
Wayne74 and had an agreeable talk. I infer from the remarks of both
the judges that, probably, but little business will be done, and that not in as
strict order as is usual.
At night, Count
Gurouski called to see me, and talked, as usual, very freely — quite as bitter
and censorious as ever. Just now, he seems to have a special spite against the
diplomatic corps — all of them except Baron Gerolt of Prussia, and Mr. Tassara
of Spain — He says all of them except Gerolt, were in a furious flutter about
the capture of Slidell and Mason75 — declaring that it was an
outrage and that England would be roused to the war-point, &c. that Gerolt quietly
said — pish! the thing is right in itself, and if it were not, England wd.
no[t] go to war for it —
The Count gave me
a short biographical [sketch] of most of the ministers — e g
1. L[or]d. Lyons,76
son of the Admiral who won the peerage. Of a respectable but humble family —
L[or]d. L.[yons] he says, has an uncle who is a farmer near Chicago.
2. Mr. Mercier77
(of France) only plainly respectable. Born in Baltimore, where his father was
French consul[.]
3. Mr. Tassara78
of Spain — really a great man — a wonderful genius — of respectable but not
noble origin — at first a news-paper writer — then a distinguished member of
the Cortes, and secretary thereof (the 2d. office in its gift)[.]
4. Mr. Stoekel79
(of Russia) nobody in Russian society, though personally worthy. As a minister,
admitted of course to court, but not recd, at all in the aristocratic society
of Petersburg. His wife is American — A Yankee — a very clever lady[.]
5. Count Piper,80
of Sweden, the only genuine aristocrat, of ancient and high descent. He is the
lineal descendant of the famous Count Piper, Minister of State of king Charles
XII81 — a man of no great talents, but of high and honorable
principles[.]
6. Baron Gerolt82
of Prussia. A very amiable and learned gentleman. Of noble connexion, but not
himself noble, until the last few years, when he was made a baron, by the
influence of Humboldt,83 who was his friend and patron.
Gerolt was
well-learned in mineralogy and mining, and (upon Humboldt's recommendation)
served some years in Mexico, as director of silver mines for an English
company. He is skilled in various sciences, and is the only foreign diplomat
who maintains close relations with American savan[t]s.
7. Chivalier
[sic] Bertenatti,84 of Italy. Of no high connexions. Educated for
the priesthood, but not ordained. For sometime a journalist. A man of fair
talents, but not at all distinguished by the gifts of nature or fortune, except
that he is minister of the rising state of Italy.
[Marginal] Note.
In this same conversation the Count said that it was well enough to give Capt
Wilkes85 the credit of originality and boldness in seising Mason and
Slidell, but, in fact, the Secy, of State sent orders to the consul at Havanna
[sic] , to notify Wilkes and tell him what to do.86
_______________
65 Adam, Count Gurowski, Polish
revolutionist and author who had lived in the United States since 1849;
translator in the State Department.
66 Supra, Nov. 20, 1861, note 60.
67 Frémont had tried to free slaves and confiscate Confederate property by a
military order revoked by Lincoln. Supra, Oct. 22, 1S61, note 24.
68 On November 22 Fort Pickens and the
men-of-war Niagara and Richmond began a two days’ bombardment of Fort McRee and
other Confederate fortifications. On January 1, 1862, there was another
artillery exchange. But it was not until May 9, 1862, that the Confederates
burned and evacuated the forts and the Navy Yard at Pensacola.
69 Supra, July 23, 1859, note 39.
70 Sterling Price: Democratic congressman,
1845—1846 ; brigadier-general of volunteers in the Mexican War; governor of
Missouri, 1853-1857 ; major-general of Missouri Confederate militia under
Confederate Governor Jackson (supra, Jan. 9, 1860, note 15). He had been driven
out of St. Louis by General Lyon, but later defeated and killed Lyon in one
engagement, and captured 3,000 Missourians in another, before he was forced to flee.
And his raids, or threats of them, continued to harass Missouri.
71 Supra, March 16, April 15, Aug. 27, 1861;
also May 27, 1859.
72 William T. Carroll, a grand-nephew of
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, was clerk of the Supreme Court from 1827 to
1862.
73 Roger B. Taney: eminent Maryland lawyer;
attorney-general of Maryland, 1827-1831; attorney-general of the U. S.,
1831-1833 ; secretary of the Treasury, 1833-1834 ; chief justice of the U. S.
Supreme Court, 1835-1864. He wrote the decision in the famous Dred Scott case
of 1857 and tried in vain to restrain the arbitrary governmental infringements
of personal liberty during the Civil War.
74 James M. Wayne: judge of the Superior
Court of Georgia, 1824-1829; Democratic congressman, 1829-1835; now justice of
the U. S. Supreme Court, 1835-1867.
75 Supra, Nov. 16, 1861.
76 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary from Great Britain, 1858-1865. Supra, Sept. 26, 1860, note 24.
77 Henri Mercier, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary, 1860-1863.
78 Gabriel Garcia y Tassara, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, 1857-1867.
79 Edward de Stoeckl, Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary, 1854-1868. He it was who negotiated the sale of
Alaska.
80 Edward, Count Piper, Minister Resident of
Sweden, 1861-1864, and Charge d’Affaires of Denmark, 1863.
81 Sweden's soldier-king who ruled from 1697
to 1718.
82 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary, 1843[?]-1871.
83 Alexander, Baron von Humboldt, wealthy
German naturalist, traveler, diplomat, author, who was a close friend of the
King of Prussia.
84 The Chevalier Joseph Bertinatti, Minister
Resident, 1S61-1S67.
85 Supra, Nov. 16, 1861, note 46.
86 The State Department has no record of
such an instruction from Seward. On the contrary, Seward wrote confidentially
to Charles F. Adams in Great Britain on November 27: “The act was done by
Commander Wilkes without instructions, and even without the knowledge of the
Government." John B. Moore, A Digest of International Law, VII, 768.
SOURCE: Howard K. Beale, Editor, The Diary of Edward Bates 1859-1866, p. 203-6
Friday, September 29, 2017
Edwin M. Stanton to Governor David Tod, May 26, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City,
D.C., May 26, 1862.
Hon. DAVID TOD,
Columbus, Ohio:
We want as many troops as you can raise in the State for the
term of three years, or during the war, or for any other term, not less than
three months, according as you can raise them quickest.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 78
Edwin M. Stanton to Governor Israel Washburn Jr., May 26, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City,
D.C., May 26, 1862.
His Excellency Governor WASHBURN,
Augusta, Me.:
SIR: Send on the guards at the forts; replace them, if
necessary, by militia. I have accepted some three-months’ volunteers, but do
not desire to receive any more. If, however, you find that you cannot get
three-years’ men, enlist them for three months. Arms and equipments will be
sent to any place you may designate. You will be authorized to make requisitions
on the Quartermaster-General and Chief of Ordnance for what you need. Please
hasten your enlistments; time is important.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 76
Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas to Governor Israel Washburn Jr., May 26, 1862
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S
OFFICE,
Washington, May 26,
1862.
Governor ISRAEL WASHBURN,
Augusta, Me.:
Enlist no more three-months’ men. Only three-years’ men are
needed. Please report how many three-months’ men you have enlisted.
By order of the Secretary of War:
L. THOMAS,
Adjutant-General.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 77
Congressman Samuel Hooper to Governor John A. Andrew, May 28, 1862
WASHINGTON, May 28,
1862.
Governor JOHN A. ANDREW,
Boston, Mass.:
I am authorized by the President to say, in reply to your
telegram, the order for the militia and three-months’ men was made by the
President himself upon deliberate consultation with the Secretary of War and
other members of his Cabinet and his military advisers. You are requested not
to make any public use of this.
S. HOOPER.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 94
Edwin M. Stanton to Charles Ellet Jr., April 27, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City, D
C., April 27, 1862.
CHARLES ELLET, Jr.,
Pittsburg, Pa.:
We have certain intelligence that New Orleans has been captured
— there appears to be no doubt of the fact. Commodore Farragut has orders to
push up immediately to Memphis, and join Commodore Foote, without waiting at
New Orleans. You should lose no time in starting your fleet to the same point.
Our squadron was at New Orleans two days ago, Sunday, 8 p.m.*
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
_______________
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 52, Part 1 (Serial No. 109), p. 243
Charles Ellet Jr. to Edwin M. Stanton, April 28, 1862
PITTSBURGH, PA.,
April 28, 1862.
Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
Your several dispatches have been received and acted upon.
No efforts are spared to get the gunboats under way. The Mingo will leave
to-morrow noon; the Lioness to-morrow evening; both with coal barges. The
Samson, I think, will start Wednesday. The tender Dick Fulton can overtake the
tows before they reach Louisville. The other tender will wait for the
sheltering barge, but I think will come up in time. Will the Department supply
the clerk who is to act as paymaster or shall the committee appoint one? Can
arrangements be made to enable the wives of the men to draw a part of their pay
if they should be detained below? This I find to be important. I will instruct
my brother to meet me at Cairo. He will assuredly come rapidly.
CHAS. ELLET, JR.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
10, Part 2 (Serial No. 11), p. 138
Edwin M. Stanton to Major-General Henry W. Halleck, June 5, 1862
WASHINGTON, June 5,
1862.
Major-General HALLECK, Corinth:
I have a dispatch from Colonel Ellet, commander of the ram
fleet at Fort Pillow, dated at that place yesterday. He informs me that he has
been there a considerable time, and has made repeated applications to Captain
Davis, commander of the gunboats, for leave to attack the enemy's fleet, but
has been uniformly refused. Captain Davis not only refuses to join Mr. Ellet or
give him the protection of a single gunboat, but also refuses to allow Ellet to
attack on his own hook, nor will he allow any of his force to volunteer with
Ellet. I regret the President would not place the fleet under your command.
Ellet, however, made one demonstration, but the rebels slipped anchor and
escaped. He says the strength of the rebel batteries is greatly overrated. He
declares his intention to go on without the gunboats.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
10, Part 2 (Serial No. 11), p. 262
Edwin M. Stanton to Colonel Charles Ellet Jr., June 13, 1862
WASHINGTON, June 13,
1862.
Col. CHARLES ELLET, JR.,
Commander of Ram Fleet, opposite Memphis:
The appointments of Dr. Roberts as fleet surgeon and Dr.
Lawrence as assistant have been made and forwarded to you by mail, via Cairo. I
am glad to learn that you are not entirely disabled, and hope you may be able
to give the finishing stroke to the enemy at Vicksburg. Please send me by mail
a full description of the vessels composing your fleet; its armament, force,
equipment, and where you prepared it, and the cost, suitable for a report to
Congress.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
17, Part 2 (Serial No. 25), p. 8
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Major-General David Hunter to Edwin M. Stanton, January 29, 1862
Fort Leavenworth
Jan. 29. 1862.
Hon. E. M. Stanton,
Secretary of War:
Dear Sir: I congratulate our country on your appointment as
Secretary of War. Your predecessor did
me the honor to request that I would communicate fully, freely and frankly with
him; and I think it right and proper that a general commanding should have such
frank communication with the political Chief of the Army. If you think differently, please notify me,
and I will not presume again to address you.
In the expedition about to go south from this Department, I
beg that I may have a large discretion that I may be allowed to strike wherever
I can do the most harm. Selfishness
might dictate a different request, but I do not fear responsibility if I can
injure our enemy. Please let me have my
own way on the subject of slavery. The
administration will not be responsible.
I alone will bear the blame; you can censure me, arrest me, dismiss me,
hang me if you will, but permit me to make my mark in such a way as to be remembered
by friend and foe.
I have the honor to be,
Very Respecty,
Your ob. servant,
David Hunter,
Major General.
SOURCE: Stanton, Edwin Mcmasters. Edwin
McMasters Stanton Papers: Correspondence, 1831 to 1870; 1862; 1862, Jan.
14-Feb. 2. 1862. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of
Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/mss41202002/,
Images 216 & 217. (Accessed September 28, 2017.)
Major-General David Hunter to Edwin M. Stanton, April 3, 1862
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT
OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, Port
Royal; S.C., April 3, 1862.
Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
SIR: I have the honor to report my arrival here on the 30th
ultimo. I address you by the first opportunity since my arrival.
I find about 17,000 troops scattered along the coast from
Saint Augustine, Fla., to North Edisto Inlet, South Carolina, distributed as
follows:
At Saint Augustine, Fla.
|
200
|
At Jacksonville, Fla.
|
1,400
|
At mouth of Saint John's River, Fla.
|
70
|
At Fernandina, Fla.
|
900
|
At Tybee Island, Ga.
|
2,200
|
At Daufuskie Island, S. C.
|
1,600
|
At Bird Island, S. C.
|
300
|
At Jones Island, S. C.
|
300
|
At Hilton Head, S. C.
|
4,500
|
At Bay Point, S. C.
|
80
|
At Beaufort, S. C.
|
3,600
|
At Otter Island, S. C.
|
450
|
At North Edisto River, S. C.
|
1,400
|
17,000
|
It is my opinion that this force is entirely too much
scattered and is subject to be cut off in detail.
I shall order an abandonment of Jacksonville, Fla., and the
re-enforcement of Forts Marion and Clinch. From later accounts I may add the
Union feeling in Florida is not so strong as we were first induced to believe.
The batteries for opening on Fort Pulaski have been retarded
by the non-arrival of the necessary guns, ammunition, &c. But Captain Gillmore,
who deserves great credit for his untiring and scientific exertions, is now
nearly ready, and by the next steamer I hope to be able to announce to you the
fall of Pulaski. We then shall be able to hold the Savannah River with a small
force and to concentrate on Charleston.
General Sherman made a requisition in December for five
steamers drawing not more than 6 feet each. He informs me that they were
purchased for him and sent from New York, but put into Hatteras in a storm, and
are there detained by General Burnside. We are still very much in want of these
light-draught boats, and, as we have but three wagons to a regiment, they are
absolutely essential.
On my leaving Washington you had the kindness to promise me
whatever force I might ask. We shall do all that men can do with the small
force we have; but it distresses me to be in such a beautiful situation for
striking strong blows without the arms to strike. I beg that you will send us
at once as many men as you think we can use to advantage, as all the officers
in command report the re-enforcement of the enemy on their respective fronts.
I most earnestly request that 50,000 muskets, with all the
necessary accouterments, and 200 rounds for each piece, may be sent to me at
once, with authority to arm such loyal men as I can find in the country,
whenever, in my opinion, they can be used advantageously against the enemy.
It is important that I should be able to know and
distinguish these men at once, and for this purpose I respectfully request that
50,000 pairs of scarlet pantaloons may be sent me; and this is all the clothing
I shall require for these people.
I believe the rebel regiments as they retreat from the Army
of the Potomac come directly to their respective States and that in this way
the force opposed to us here is becoming considerably augmented.
I have the honor to
be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D.
HUNTER,
Major-General, Commanding.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 27-8
Edwin M. Stanton to Brigadier-General Rufus Saxton, April 29, 1862
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, D.C.,
April 29, 1862.
Brig. Gen. R. SAXTON:
SIR: You are assigned to duty in the Department of the
South, to act under the orders of the Secretary of War. You are directed to
take possession of all the plantations heretofore occupied by rebels, and take
charge of the inhabitants remaining thereon within the department, or which the
fortunes of the war may hereafter bring into it, with authority to take such
measures, make such rules and regulations for the cultivation of the land, and
for protection, employment, and government of the inhabitants as circumstances
may seem to require. The major-general commanding the Department of the South
will be instructed to give you all the military aid and protection necessary to
enable you to carry out the views of the Government. You will have power to act
upon the decisions of courts-martial which are called for the trial of persons
not in the military service to the same extent that the commander of a
department has over courts-martial called for the trial of soldiers in his
department; and so far as the persons above described are concerned you will
also have a general control over the action of the provost-marshals. It is
expressly understood that, so far as the persons and purposes herein specified
are concerned, your action will be independent of that of other military
authorities of the department, and in all other cases subordinate only to the
major-general commanding. In cases of actual suffering and destitution of the
inhabitants you are directed to issue such portions of the army ration and such
articles of clothing as may be suitable to the habits and wants of the persons
supplied, which articles will be furnished by the quartermaster and commissary
of the Department of the South upon requisitions approved by yourself. It is
expected that by encouraging industry, skill in the cultivation of the necessaries
of life, and general self-improvement you will, as far as possible, promote the
real well-being of all people under your supervision. Medical and ordnance
supplies will be furnished by the proper officers, which you will distribute
and use according to your instructions.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume
2 (Serial No. 123), p. 27-8
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