Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

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Headquarters, Department S. C., Ga., and Fla., Charleston, S. C., August 8th, 1863.
Brig.-Genl. R. S. Ripley, etc., etc.:

General,—The Commanding General wishes you at once to organize day and night working-parties at Fort Sumter, to put up the sand-bag chemise of the gorge-wall, the interior traverses, merlons, and embrasures he has ordered; he desires that not an hour should be lost in executing those improvements, on which depends the safety of Sumter.

Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, Engineer, has been directed to construct a covered way between Batteries Gregg and Wagner, and the Commanding General wishes you to furnish him any facility in your power for its speedy completion.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Jno. F. O'Brien, Major, and A. A. G.

Headquarters, Department S. C., Ga., and Fla., Charleston, S. C., August 9th, 1863.
Lieut.-Col. D. B. Harris, Chief-Engineer, etc., etc.:

Colonel,—I am instructed to communicate the following views and wishes of the Commanding General for your guidance.

The existing defensive lines on James Island, with a trace of seven miles, reaching from Fort Pemberton to Secessionville, as I always feared, are so defective that it has become clearly injudicious to expend much more labor on them. You will, therefore, now that we can command labor, lay out and erect a shorter line, beginning at Secessionville and resting on the Stono at Dill's house—that is, about two miles and a half in extent—and which may at first be made up of four (4) redans, which should be converted into redoubts, or lunettes with closed gorges, disposed from one-half (1/2) to three-quarters of a mile apart, and connected with cremaillere lines.

The first (1st) of these redans, from Secessionville, should be armed with three (3) guns; the second (2d) with four (4); the third (3d), on the Stono, with six (6); and the fourth (4th), also on the Stono, with four (4) guns—all of which will be transferred from the present lines, and from Fort Sumter or other forts, as they may be best spared.

The two works on the Stono must be heavily armed, while the river should be obstructed to the utmost extent practicable with torpedoes, extending below the work, if practicable, a mile and a half.

The scarp-wall at Fort Sumter over the new gate-way will be supported in the way verbally indicated by the Commander of the forces.

Respectfully, your obdt. servt.,

Thomas Jordan, Chief of Staff.

Headquaiters, Department S. C., Ga., and Fla., Charleston, S. C., August 12th, 1862.
Brig.-Genl. R. S. Ripley, etc., etc.:

General,—The Commanding General desires that the expedition for the seizure of Black Island shall take place on the same night (Friday), when an effort will be made to put torpedoes afloat in Light-house Inlet. Colonel