The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-06-27
A PLAN TO HOLD THE REBEL STATES
AFTER THEY ARE CONQUERED.

AFTER THE WAR.
The Richmond Dispatch of May Sd
states that the following important letter
was found in the headquarters of Gen. Ca
sey, after the battle of Sunday:
HEADQUARTERS CAsEY's DIvIsIoN,)
On BOARD STEAMER CONSTITUTION,
May 2lst, 1862.
To the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Sec'y. of War:
S1R-The few short notes 1 handed you
on the day l left Washington, with regard
to the military defence of the country after
this rebellion shall have been mastered,
shall, by your kind permission, proceed now
to elaborate.
propose that we maintain an army OF
100000 men, composed of the three arms
OF the service in their due proportion.
1 would assign $4,000 men to the defence
of that part Of the country lying west of
the Mississippi River, including the Pacific
coast. would assign $4,000 men to the
defence of the Lake, Atlantic, and Gulf
coasts, stretching from Lake Superior to
the mouth of the Mississippi, including Key
West and the Tortugas. The remaining
10000 men, l would station on the line Of
the railroad from Memphis, Tennessee, to
Chattanooga, and from thence on one rail.
road branch to Charleston, South Carolina,
and on the other branch to Richmond, Va;
occupying between Memphis and Chatta.
nooga important intermediate points, say
Grand Junction, Corinth, Decatur, and
Stevenson
Between Chattanooga and Charleston
would occupy, say, Dalton, Atlanta, Union
Point, Augusta, Branchville, and, possibly,
Columbia, s. q.
Between Chattanooga and Richmond /
would occupy, say, Knoxville, Arlington,
Wytheville. Lynchburg, Charlottesville,
huntsville and Richmond and Fredericks-
burg should also be occupied.
Just as soon as the points indicated are
recovered from the enemy, they should per-
manently be occupied by military force.
The important strategic points, such as
Chattanooga, Memphis, and Richmond,
should be strongly fortified without delay.
have thus, in brief manner, stated
what consider the best disposition to be
made in military point of view. Consid.
cred politically, I am convinced that the
lines are not without their advantages.
They pass for considerable distance
through mountainous region. By the in.
PRODUCTION of the superior knowledge and
civilization which disciplined and we'll
appointed army would carry with it, the
inhabitants of that region would become as
much attached to the Union, without con-
dition, as any of the northern States, thus
placing an iusurmountable barrier to the
success of that portion OF the Union which
would be most likely to rebel against the
constituted authorities.
1t is very certain that no argument is
worth straw with the southern rebels but
that of the bayonet, and we would be recs
reant to the cause of liberty on this earth if
we did not use it efectually.
The President, besides the war power 80
to do, is clothed with the legal power to
take military possession of all the railroads
in the United States. The fact that militia.
~ provisional governments will have to be
first instituted in the States containing the
lines will render the possession and control
of them easy.
have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
SILAS CASEY,
Brig. General Commanding Division.