Today in History:

1050 Series I Volume XLVII-I Serial 98 - Columbia Part I

Page 1050 Chapter LIX]OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA.

CHARLOTTE, March 6, 18652 p. in. To save time I have sent following dispatch from here and Greens- borough to General Hardee on road from iRockiugham: March at once on Fayetteville. if possible; if not, then on Raleigh. G. T. BEAUREGARD. General J. E. JOHNSTON. No. 284. I?eports of Geiterai Joseph F. Johnston, C. S. Army, of operations Feb ruary 23March 27. CHARLOTTE, N. C., February 23, 1865. General Beauregard has given orders for the concentration of all his forces. Lieutenant-General Hardee is moving by Florence and Cheraw, and Major- General Cheatham and Lieutenant- General Stewart by Newberry. Jn front of the Federal army are the cavalry and S. D. Lees corps, 3,000; Stewart and Cheatham, 3,200; Lieutenant-Gen- eral ilardees, about 11,000; cavalry, about 6,000. I suggest that Gen. eral Braggs troops join these. Can Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, assistant adjutant-general, join me~ I have no staff that of the Arm of Tennessee being dispersed. J. E. JOHNSTON. General R. E. LEE, Petersburg, Va. CHARLOTTE, N. C., February 25, 1865. Your order to me to concentrate all available forces and drive back Sherman implies, of course, that you regard those forces as adequate to the object and their concentration in time practicable. In my reply by telegraph on the 22d the opposite opinion is expressed. Fuller information obtained since confirms me in that opinion. The Federal army is within the triangle formed by the three bodies of our infantry. It can, therefore, prevent their concentration or compel them to unite in its rear by keeping on its way without loss of time. It is estimated at 40,000, and was at last accounts crossing the Wateree east of Winusbor- ough as if moving upon Fayetteville. The available forces are ilardees troops arriving at Cheraw by railroad and estimated by General Beau- regard at 12,000. 1 believe that several thousand are South Caro- lina militia and reserves, who will not go beyond Cheraw; Lees corps, Army of Tennessee, near Charlotte, 3,500; Stewarts corps, Army of Tennessee, 1,200; Cheathams corps, Army of Tennessee, 1,900. The two latter when last heard of were near Newberry. These troops, except ilardees, have only the means of transporting cooking utensils and, therefore, cannot operate far from railroads. The cavalry, under Lieutenant-General Hampton, amounts to about 6,000. In my opinion, these troops form an army too weak to cope with Sherman. Having expressed the opinion that your order could not be executed with the means at my disposal, I have thought it my duty to give a fuller state- mnent in support of that opinion than that contained in a brief telegram. If our troops and those of General Bragg could be united in time thQ


Page 1050 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. GA., AND E. FLA.