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

Telegram.

Tupelo, Miss., Jan. 10th, 1865.
Genl. Beauregard:

I am preparing to obey the orders contained in your cipher telegram of the 9th. Have had a full consultation with Lieutenant-General Taylor, but will be able to make no shipment before your arrival here, which will, I hope, be very soon.

J. B. Hood, Genl.

Headquarters, Military Division of the West, Jan. 10th 1865.

Special orders, no. 5:

1. In pursuance of a telegram from A. and I. G. O., Richmond, Major-General D. H. Hill and personal staff will proceed to Charleston and report to Lieutenant-General W. J. Hardee. Quartermaster's Department will furnish transportation for their horses.* * *

By command of General Beauregard.

Geo. Wm. Brent, Col., and A. A. G.

Telegram.

Richmond, Va., Jan. 11th, 1865.
Genl. G. T. Beauregard:

Your assignment of General D. H. Hill is approved.

S. Cooper, A. and I. G.

Telegram.

Tupelo, Miss., Jan. 11th, 1865.
Genl. Beauregard:

Your telegram in relation to Jackson's division received. When shall I expect you here? It will require four days to remove the sick and wounded and stores from this place. When these are removed will be ready to carry out the orders of the President.

J. B. Hood, Genl.

Richmond, Jan. 14th, 1865.
Genl. G. T. Beauregard:

Dear General,—I received your letter by Colonel Paul, and would have answered it sooner but for the great pressure of business which has been upon me for some time past. I cannot bring my mind to the conviction that arming our slaves will add to our military strength, and the prospective and inevitable evils resulting from the measure make me shrink back from the step as only to be taken when on the very brink of the precipice of ruin. At first I was inclined to think we might with some advantage employ negro soldiers; but the more I think of it the more disinclined I am to resort to what at best can only be regarded as a doubtful experiment. The Yankees now do not get as many of our negroes (by absconding to them) as they did at first, because the negro knows he will be put into their armies and forced to fight. If we force him to fight he will, as between the two sides, go to the enemy, because they offer him present stronger inducements—better food and clothing, and unlimited whiskey —and hold out to him as a reward in the future, in the event of success, a proprietary right in the soil to which he is attached. He is made to believe by the