[
311]
General E. K. Smith, through
Dr. Macken, special courier of the War Department, a duplicate copy of
General Beauregard's first letter, with this additional communication:
General,—On the 2d inst.
General Beauregard transmitted to you, by his aide-de-camp,
Captain Toutant, a letter requesting that you would, without delay, send to the support of
General Hood two or more divisions, or threaten
Missouri, to distract the enemy, so as to induce him to recall his reinforcements to
Thomas.
Since that date
General Beauregard has been ordered to the
East, and is now absent, and I am in receipt of a telegram from the Hon. Secretary of War directing
General Beauregard to order the movement indicated in the letter of the 2d instant.
In the absence of the
General I transmit you a copy of the said letter, and request a speedy compliance with it. Your prompt attention and action are not only required by the order of the
Secretary of War, but by the exigencies of the public service.
I am, General, very respectfully, your obt. servt.,
Thus, it is made apparent that
General Beauregard's earnest appeal to
General E. K. Smith was approved, and promptly acted upon, by the War Department.
General Hood in his book also discloses the fact of his great anxiety to receive reinforcements from the Trans-Mississippi Department.
He writes:
‘The President was still urgent in his instructions relative to the transference of troops to the Army of Tennessee from Texas—[why from Texas, which would have caused additional delay?]—and I daily hoped to receive the glad tidings of their safe passage across the Mississippi River.’
1
But no ‘glad tidings’ came.
General E. K. Smith could not be moved to action.
He allowed exaggerated rumors and obstacles, trifling in their nature, to prevent him from adopting the step which had been so earnestly urged upon him. And here we may appropriately remind the reader that, scarcely one month before,
General Forrest, with his light batteries alone, had captured and destroyed several of the enemy's gunboats and transports on the
Tennessee River—thus proving that they were by no means so formidable as reported.
It is to be regretted that
General E. Kirby Smith, although, in many respects, an officer