The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-29

I regret exceed
lngiy that the colonel should have writ
ten such letter. il may injure him one
OF these days. l hope you have not shown
IL TO any one else; l advise you to destroy
1t and never speak of il again" He
answered: Il have already shswn it to
zen. Hlpley and his staff I then said to
hiIn: Ihat. however painful it might be TO
| lose or sacrifice SO gallant a garrison il
| was one OF those trying occasions when.
| the risk had 10 be run; that / considered
| the position SO vitality important then TO
the safety of Charleston and of the Con-
iederacy, that l had already informed
! some or the members of nv STAFF that il
| might become necessary for me to trans
| Ter my headquarters 10 those ruins until
| my inner harbor defense should be en-
urely completed and ready for action"
| Now, as it not singular that these facts
should nave passed away from his mind?
| 1t might be due doubtless TO the great and
| painful excitement under which he an
peared to be laboring on account of what
ne considered his brothers desperate stu
! alton.
There are many important facts refer
ring to the defense of Charleston which
| ought TO be carefully collected before the
| principal actors in that memorable siege
shall have passed away; two of the no
| best of them, Col. d. B. Harris and Gen.
| stephen Elliott have already gone TO that
bourne from whence no traveller ever re-
| turns The necessity of doing so is The.
| greater on account of the loss or disper-
sion OF most of the official records Mine
| are nearly all in the bureau of archives
| az Washington. where they were sent TO
| from Macon, Ga, by order of that bad
| man, stanton, some time after the sur
render, and where they have been kept by
Andy Johnson, Grant and Sherman, not.
! Wlthstanoing all my efforts to get them
| back. hope to be more successful at
/ hands
| March 4, next
With my kind regard to your family.
and hoping that you are ali enjoying good
health, remain, yours very sincerely,
G. T. Beauregard.
Gen. j. F. Gilmer, Savannah, Ga.
In replying to the letter Gen Gilmer
| agreed with Gen. Beauregard in almost
| every particular showing that Col Har-
rls did say that Fort Sumter could be
held, and that the artilierists We're with
drawn for use at other batteries while an
infantry force was placed there
| letter of Sept. 49, 1864 speaks of Col
Mackan and quarrel between him and
| Gen. Bragg
There is a letter dated Nov. IS, 1854 from
Col. John j. Clarke, presenting Gen. Gil
| mer with pair of spurs made from the
| sabots of Yankee" shells fired at Fort
Sumter. These spurs were made in the
! engineer workshop in Savannah, and two
other pairs were for Gen. Beauregard and
Col Harris.
Gen. Gilmer had special charge of the
| arrangements for the flight from Rich
mond southwark and westward of Presi-
| dent Jefferson Davis and Secretary Of
! War Breckenridge, in the latter part of
April, 1865, and many of the original doc
uments connected with that memorable
occasion are now in the book which Mrs
! Minis has presented to the Confederate
museum Among these papers are a re-
ceipt for $500 in specie to be used in pur-
! chasing horses and mules to haul the pom
| toon bridges to be used, a requsition by
Gen. Gilmer for $4,000 to be sued by Mai
| w. r. Foster for the construction of
! bridges and the repairing of roads where
ever necessary, a receipt 10 Gen Gilmer
| for gold advanced by him to pay for horses
and other things, and number of orders
| TO various officers under Gen. Gimer with
regard TO their duties in connection with
that flight
The next document is the original of the
last official order issued by Secretary Of
| War Breckenridge, as follows:
! War Department, G. S. A, May 4, 1866
AS the presence of the several chiefs of
| bureau of the war department is not re-
! CURED with the President and Secretary
! of War in the present condition of the
| government, they will remain at such
points as may be best in their opinion for
the discharge of their duties; and will
move on westward and join the war de-
! partment where their services NAV he
needed; or when they may receive orders
10 that end. And the respective chiefs Of
! bureau having control of public property.
| will exercise their discretion in making dis
position OF it, for the best possible inter-
ests of the government.
John c. Breckenridge,
Secretary of War"
Another most interesting paper is the
! m.
| tary of War whose headquarters were
! then at Charlotte, n. c., directing all I'M
! assigned officers to move southwark to
| their respective states and report to the
| senior military officer or the Governor of
their state. The latter part of the order
grants an honorable discharge to all sol
dlers from Maryland who had served their
| terms of enlistment. and directs officers
! from that state 10 report in whatever state
| they desire
The following is from the original Of
| fetal copy of Gen. Gilmers order with re-
gard TO the escort to be furnished Presi.
! dent Davis:
Catawba Bridge ". c., April q, 1865. =
| Capt. w. A. Ramsey, engineer II oops will
accompany the troops escorting the Presi-
dent and Secretary of War on their march
southwark and westward, taking the por-
! ton of his company that is here with him,
provided with all tools, rope, etc. needed
for repairs of roads and bridges He will
take a full supply of transportation with
the best animals he has ON hand
(Signed.) j. F. Gilmer
Maj Gen. and Chief of Engineers Bureau.
Another order issued by Gen. Gilmer on
the same day as the foregoing, directed
Maj. J. W. Gfeen, of the engineer troops,
to proceed on the roads leading to Wash
ington, Ga, and to make all necessary re-
pairs of roads and bridges.
Interesting specimens of fractional cur
rency of Southern banks are followed by
Confederate voucher for the pay of
Capt. f. P. Alexander OF the engineer
corps for the month of March, 1865,
amounting to $149, the 50 addition being
given on account of Ave years service.
There Is quite a lengthy correspondence
between Gen. Gilmer and President JEFF.
ferson Davis which took place about 1880.
President Davis was at that time prepar-
ing his memoirs and sought assistance
from Gen. Giimer. One of the letters.
dated Nov. a. 1863 states that Mr.. Davis
had accepted the presidency of the Caro-
lima Life Insurance Company Of Mem
phis and he desired to appoint Gen, GU
mer general agent for Georgia. One of
these letters sought information with re-
gard to the intention of President Davis