Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 3

General Halleck to General Grant.

General: Some time since General Sherman asked my opinion in regard to his operations after the capture of Atlanta. While free to give advice to the best of my ability, I felt it my duty to refer him to you for instructions, not being advised of your views on that subject. I presume, from his dispatches, that you have corresponded upon the subject, and perhaps his plan of future operations has already been decided upon.

At one time he seemed most decidedly of opinion that he ought to operate by Montgomery and Selma, and connect himself with Canby and Farragut on the Alabama river, thus severing the northern part of Georgia and Alabama, and almost Mississippi, from the rebel confederacy. This view was taken in his letters to General Canby, copies of which were sent to the Adjutant-General's office, and in his opinion I fully concurred, and so wrote both to him and Canby, directing them, however, to make no important movements until they received your instructions.

I judge, from a dispatch just received from General Sherman, that he is now proposing to move eastwardly towards Augusta or Millen, expecting to connect with the coast by the Savannah river. Whether this is simply a suggestion or change of opinion on his part, or the result of his consultation with you or of your orders to him, I have no means of knowing; all I wish to say or hear upon the subject is, that if any definite plans have been adopted, it is desirable that the Secretary of War or myself should be informed of that plan as early as possible. Large requisitions have been received within the last day or two from General Canby's staff-officers for water transportation, and quartermaster, commissary, and medical stores, to be sent to Mobile and Pensacola, for an army of thirty or forty thousand men. Indeed, in the single article of forage more is asked for than can possibly [670] be furnished in the northern and eastern states, and more than all the available sea-going vessels in northern ports could float. On receiving the requisitions I directed General Meigs to take active measures to fill them, so far as possible, but to make no shipments till further orders.

Now, if General Sherman is going east to connect with the coast by the Savannah river, these stores should not be shipped to Mobile or Pensacola, but to Hilton Head, and transportation be sent to New Orleans to move all available troops to that point. Moreover, operations at Mobile should, in that case, be limited to mere demonstrations, and that only so long as they may serve to deceive the enemy. It is exceedingly important that some definite conclusion should be arrived at as early as possible, for the expenses of the water transportation, and especially of the demurrage of large fleets, are enormous.

Perhaps it may be desirable that I should give my reasons in brief for concurring with General Sherman in his first proposed plan of operations.

In the first place, that line of connection with the coast is the shortest and most direct.

2nd. By cutting off a smaller slice of rebel territory it is not so directly exposed, and leaves a smaller force to attack in rear.

3rd. It does not leave Tennessee and Kentucky so open to rebel raids.

4th. The Alabama river is more navigable for our gunboats than the Savannah.

5th. The line is more defensible for General Canby's troops than the other.

6th. Montgomery, Selma, and Mobile are, in a military point of view, more important than Augusta, Millen, and Savannah.

7th. Mobile can be more easily captured than Savannah.

8th. This line will bring within our control a more valuable and important section of country than that by the Savannah. There is a section of country, from fifty to one hundred and fifty miles wide, extending from Selma west to Meridian, and thence north on both sides of the Tombigbee to Columbus, Aberdeen, and Okalona, more rich in agricultural products than any equal extent of country in the Confederacy. Slave labor has been but very little disturbed in this section, and the large crops of this year are being collected at Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, and other points for the use of the rebel army. By moving on that line they will be converted to our [671] use or be destroyed; by moving on Augusta they will be left for the use of Hood's forces.

I do not write this for the purpose of influencing your adoption of a particular plan of campaign, or of changing your decision, if you have adopted any plan, but simply to urge on you an early decision, if you have not already made one. It is proper, however, to remark that I have taken every possible means to obtain correct information on the subject, and present these conclusions only after thorough examination and the most mature consideration.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

General Townsend to General Fry.—(telegram.)

I am just informed that an effort is to be made to-day to capture the steamer Michigan, and release the prisoners on Johnson's Island, by a party that is to rendezvous at Port Keeler, said to be 2,000 strong.

I have sent the persons bringing me the information directly to Major-General Dix, and also telegraphed him.

General order of General Dix.

General orders.

Satisfactory information has been received by the major-general commanding that rebel agents in Canada design to send into the United States and colonize at different points large numbers of refugees, deserters, and enemies of the government, with a view to vote at the approaching presidential election, and it is not unlikely, when this service to the rebel cause has been performed, that they may be organized for the purpose of shooting down peaceable citizens and plundering private property, as in recent predatory incursions on the Detroit river and at St. Albans.

Against these meditated outrages on the purity of the elective franchise and these nefarious acts of robbery, incendiarism, and murder, [672] it is the determination of the major-general commanding to guard by every possible precaution, and to visit on the perpetrators, if they shall be detected, the most signal and summary punishment.

All the classes of persons enumerated, whether citizens of the insurgent states who have been in the rebel service engaged in acts of hostility to the government, deserters from the military service of the United States, or men drafted or subject to draft who have fled to evade their duty to their country, are liable to punishment for their crimes they have already committed, and no effort will be spared to arrest them.

For this purpose, all provost-marshals and their deputies within this department are commanded to exercise all possible vigilance, and to adopt such measures as may be necessary to detect persons coming into the United States for the purpose of voting, or of committing depredations on private property, and to prevent their escape; and it is earnestly recommended to the electors of the states in this department to take within their respective election districts such measures as may be required for their own security, and to aid the military authorities in frustrating the designs of rebel agents and emissaries, or in bringing the perpetrators to punishment. Should any of these malefactors succeed in perpetrating their crimes, effective measures will be taken to prevent their return to Canada; and for this purpose special direction will be given, and suitable guards for the frontiers will be provided, before the day of election.

As a further precaution, all persons from the insurgent states, now within this department, or who may come within it on or before the 3d of November, proximo, are hereby required to report themselves for registry on or before that day, and all such persons coming within the department after that day will report immediately on their arrival.

Those who fail to comply with this requirement will be regarded as spies or emissaries of the insurgent authorities at Richmond, and will be treated accordingly.

The registry in this city will be at the Headquarters of Major-General John J. Peck, second in command in the department, at No. 37 Bleecker street, and in all other places out of this city at the office of the nearest provost-marshal. The registry will contain a complete description of the persons reporting, and also their places of residence, which must not be changed without notice at the place of registry.

By command of

Captain Rogers to General Fry.—(telegram.)

The following telegram has just been received by me, dated “Toronto, C. W., October 30, 1864. To Provost-Marshal, Buffalo:”

The military of the city are now assembling, and proper preparations will be made to secure the safety of the city to-night.

Mr. Wheeler to Secretary Stanton.—(telegram.)

We have a village of over three thousand inhabitants, ten miles from the Canada line; principal shops of Ogdensburg road here; we will take care of ourselves, if you will give us arms and ammunition. The fire-arms under the control of the provost-marshal here are worthless. Will you give him arms for our use? Refer to Major McKeever, in your department, Governor Morton, or Treasurer Spinner.

Respectfully,

Mr. Jackson to Secretary Seward.—(telegram.)

It is secretly asserted by secessionists here, that plans have been formed and will be carried into execution by rebels and their allies, for setting fire to the principal cities in the Northern states on the day of the presidential election.

General Dix to Secretary Stanton.—(telegram.)

When I saw you a fortnight ago to-morrow, you told me you would ask General Grant to send me five thousand troops, of which I informed you I wished to place three thousand on the frontier, not only in reference to threatened attack, but to secure the efficient execution of the order in regard to colonizing from Canada for the election; and that I would retain two thousand in New York. If I cannot divide the force under General Butler, two of the chief objects in view will be defeated.

I will give General Butler, as is due to his rank, the choice of remaining here or of taking command of the two northern districts of New York and state of Vermont, including Albany, Buffalo and St. Albans. If his force must not be divided, I will send into those districts the troops garrisoning forts in this harbor, although they are altogether inadequate to the object in view.

Colonel Sweet to General Hoffman.—(telegram.)

Have made during the night the following arrests of rebel officers, escaped prisoners of war, and citizens in connection with them: Colonel G. St. Leger Greenfell, Morgan's adjutant-general, in company with J. F. Shanks, an escaped prisoner of war, at Richmond House; J. F. Shanks; Colonel Vincent Marmaduke, brother of General Marmaduke; Brigadier-General Charles Wallace, of the Sons of Liberty; Captain [675] Cantrill, of Morgan's command; Charles Traverse, Butternut. Cantrill and Traverse arrested in Walsh's house, in which was found two cart-loads large-sized revolvers, loaded and capped; two hundred stand of muskets, and ammunition. Also seized two boxes guns concealed in a room in the city; also arrested Judge Buck Morris, treasurer of the ‘Sons of Liberty,’ having complete proof of his assisting Shanks to escape, and plotting to release prisoners at this camp. Most of these rebel officers were in the city on the same errand in August last, their plan being to raise an insurrection and release prisoners of war at this camp. There are many strangers and suspicious persons in the city, believed to be guerillas and rebel soldiers. The plan was to attack the camp on election. All prisoners arrested are in camp. Captain Nelson and A. C. Coventry, of the police, rendered very efficient service.

Mr. White to Secretary Stanton.—(telegram.)

Colonel Sweet, by his energetic and decisive measures last night, has undoubtedly saved Camp Douglas from being opened, and the city from conflagration. I respectfully suggest that you send him a word of commendation.

Covering the period in question, there are no returns of the Confederate army of Tennessee in possession of the Archive Office, except those enumerated above.