CHAPTER XXXI. Troops Withdrawn from General Beauregard and Sent to North Carolina and to General Johnston.-The Secretary of War orders 5000 more to Vicksburg.-General Beauregard's Letter to Mr. Seddon.-Plan of the Campaign to Redeem Tennessee and Kentucky Submitted to General Johnston, after the Battle of Chancellorsville, and after Richmond's Safety is Assured.-Enemy makes a Demonstration in Third Military District.General Gillmore Assumes Command of Federal Forces.-General Beauregard Instructed by the War Department to Repair to Mobile with Part of his Troops. His Letter to General Cooper.-Colonel Simonton Recommends a Battery at Grimball's.-General Beauregard's Reasons for Objecting to it.-Call for Additional Heavy Guns.-Remonstrance to General Gillmore as to Depredations of his Troops.-General Beauregard's Letter to the Mayor of Charleston.-The Enemy's Movements on Folly Island.— Preparations for the Attack.-Orders to that Effect.-The Assault takes Place on the 10th of July: is Renewed on the 11th and 18th.-Repulse of the Enemy.-General Beauregard Strengthens his Inner Circle of Fortifications. His Letter to Governor Bonham.-Instructions to General Ripley and other Officers.-Letter to Captain Tucker.-Additional Orders Issued. Mr. Seddon's Request for Information Concerning the Enemy's Descent on Morris Island.-General Beauregard's Reply. No sooner had the enemy been foiled in his naval attack on Fort Sumter (April 7th) than the depletion of General Beauregard's active forces was begun. Cooke's and Clingman's commands were returned to North Carolina; and, early in May, two brigades of infantry, numbering more than 5000 men, with two batteries of light artillery, were sent, by order of the War Department, to reinforce General Joseph E. Johnston at Jackson, Mississippi. Again, on the 10th of May, a telegram was received from the Secretary of War, directing that 5000 more men should be hurried to the assistance of General Pemberton, at Vicksburg. This injudicious measure, the execution of which would have left General Beauregard with hardly any troops in his Department, stung him to an earnest remonstrance, as is shown by the following letter: "HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT S. C., GA., AND FLA., CHARLESTON, S. C., May 11th, 1863. "Hon. J. A. SEDDON, Secretary of War, Richmond: "Sir,―This morning, as clearly as it could be done in the space of a telegram, I sought to lay before you the military condition in which this Department would be left, after the execution of your orders of yesterday, directing me to send another division of 5000 men out of it to Lieutenant-General Pemberton. "In view, however, of the grave consequences that may follow, I deem it not only in place, but my duty, to lay before the War Department, in precise terms, my views touching the removal, at this juncture, of so large a force. "As soon as the enemy had withdrawn his ironclad ships from before this harbor, and materially reduced his land-forces in this immediate vicinity, on the requisition of the Commanding General in North Carolina, I returned Cooke's brigade of North Carolina troops to Wilmington, and sent Clingman's brigade there, in exchange for Evans's. “A week ago, under your orders, I put in motion for Jackson, Miss., two brigades, under Brigadier-Generals Gist and W. H. T. Walker, the former commanding South Carolina, and the latter Georgia, regiments-somewhat over 5000 infantry in all, and two light batteries of the best class in the Department. "Your orders have been based, apparently, on the conviction that the troops of the enemy, assembled in this Department for operations against Charleston, have been mainly withdrawn and diverted to other expeditions in North Carolina and the Valley of the Mississippi. This conviction I regret that I cannot share, as I am satisfied, from the reports of District Commanders, and from other reasons, that there has been really but little reduction of the command of Major-General Hunter. "General Walker, commanding at Pocotaligo, reports that, on yesterday, the outposts of the enemy in his front had been much increased in strength. General Hagood reports them to be occupying Seabrook's Island, with at least 2500 infantry. They are crecting fortifications at that point, as also on Folly Island, which is likewise still occupied in force. "Five of the monitors remain in the North Edisto, with some twenty gunboats and transports. With these and the transports still in the waters of Port Royal, and the forces which I am unable to doubt are still at the disposition of the enemy, he may renew the attack by land and water on Charleston at any moment. Acting on the offensive, and commanding the time of attack, he could simultaneously call troops here from North Carolina, and sooner than my command could possibly be reinforced from any quarter out of the Department. "To meet or resist any land attack there would be available, in the First Military District: Line of Savannah Railroad, Second and Third Military Districts. "This force, if concentrated at either Charleston or Savannah for a certain period, could, doubtless, make a stout defence; but if kept distributed in occupation of the important points, districts, and positions now held from Georgetown, S. C., to Florida, would offer but feeble resistance to any serious attack of the enemy. "If it be the irrevocable determination of the War Department that this command shall be thus reduced, I can but make such disposition of the remnant of my forces as may appear best calculated to conceal my weakness. With my cavalry I shall make a show of occupation of the Second and Third Military Districts, and the line of the Charleston and Savannah Railroad; but it must not be lost sight of that my communications with Savannah can be cut by the enemy, without the use of a large force, whenever he may choose to attempt it; and when that is done he will get possession of a large extent of rich rice lands and large stores of rice, not yet brought to market, which would be a heavy loss. Furthermore, it were then but a simple and easy military operation for a column-not a large one-to penetrate to Branchville, not more than thirty-five miles distant from Pocotaligo, and thus entirely interrupt my communications with the interior, as a glance at the map will show. "The sickly season on this coast will begin in about six weeks; then a small reduction of the infantry might take place. It was so late as the 16th of June last year that the enemy made his attack at Secessionville, on James Island— so nearly successful—and which, with success, would have placed Charleston at his mercy, despite the harbor defences. "It is proper to add here that the day before your order to detach the last division was received I had organized and put in motion an expedition against the enemy, on Seabrook Island, in support of a naval operation, the object of which is to destroy the ironclads, with the torpedo-boat contrivance of Captain Lee. The naval expedition, under Lieutenant Parker, supported by some troops, will nevertheless be attempted; but I was reluctantly obliged to recall the infantry with which I hoped to effect the surprise and capture |