Today in History:

629 Series I Volume XLIX-II Serial 104 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part II

Page 629 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.


HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Macon, Ga., May 6, 1865-12 m.

Major General J. M. SCHOFIELD,
Raleigh, N. C.:

Your telegram of 3 p.m. yesterday received. One boat load of supplies have reached Augusta. I am paroling all troops in the State, including the Governor and militia, and gathering arms and stores here. I am making every possible disposition to apprehend Jeff. Davis and his cabinet. General Upton telegraphs that Davis left Washington, Ga., yesterday or day before yesterday morning, with six men. Had 150 when he arrived. My scouts from Greensborough send in a similar report, and the country is full of rumors in regard to it. My own impression is that we have yet no definite clue to his movements, and therefore I am filling the country full of scouts and watching every crossing and road from the mountains of Georgia to Hawkinsville, on the Ocmulgee. If Mr. Davis is a fugitive and well mounted, it will be exceedingly difficult to stop him, but I will spare no effort. I have authorized General Upton, whose division is marching to Atlanta, to offer a reward of $100,000, to be paid out of the booty if captured. I have just learned from a very bright lad of Duke's brigade that at noon of the 2nd Mr. Davis, with Bragg and Breckinridge, escorted by seven small brigades of cavalry, Duke's, Ferguson's, Vaughn's, Lewis', Dibrell's and Williams', were at Cokesbury, S. C., twenty miles north of the Savannah River. They had about 300 wagons. Mr. Davis was guarded by about seventy-five officers who had volunteered for that purpose. The troops were supposed to number about 3,000, but were deserting very rapidly. The leading officers were to have held a council at Cokesbury, but the approach of our troops from the north broke it up. I have put Grierson on his guard; he is moving to Montgomery and Mississippi over a wide extent of country. Please say to General Sherman I regard it impracticable to march from here to Decatur with as large a command as mine. I know the country; a part of my command has moved over it and report it entirely desolate. I can go out by following the line of the railroad to Dalton after establishing depots of forage at Atlanta and Resaca, by having pontoon bridges built on the streams and marching rapidly from one depot to the other. It will take me two weeks at least to dispose of all the troops in this State and Florida. Is there any necessity of my hurrying or of going to Decatur direct, rather than to Dalton first? My stock is in fine condition now and it would be cruelty to destroy it by such a march as the one indicated would be. There is a very large number of guns and many valuable military stores which should not be destroyed. I am gathering them to this point. One regiment of infantry sent here from Augusta would save it all.

J. H. WILSON,

Brevet Major-General.

MACON, May 6, 1865-1.30 p.m.

General J. M. SCHOFIELD:

Without my knowledge or consent Governor Brown has issued a call for a meeting of the George Legislature for the 22nd instant. I don't think it proper for either Governor Brown or his Legislature to exercise any control or influence in shaping opinion or policy in the re-establishment of Georgia with the Union. I shall therefore not allow


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