Today in History:

686 Series I Volume XIV- Serial 20 - Secessionville

Page 686 COASTS OF S. C.,GA.,AND MID. AND EAST FLA. Chapter XXVI.

ciently supplied with ammunition therefor, will be at once furnished with about 100 rounds of the proper character and proportions.

Please report to this office when these orders shall have been fully executed.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS JORDAN,

Chief of Staff.


HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE AND EAST FLORIDA, Tallahassee, November 22, 1862.

Brigadier General THOMAS JORDAN,
Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant-General:

The mayor of Columbus, under direction of the city council, is arranging to obstruct the Apalachicola River below our batteries at Alum Bluff, and desires protection and permision to proceed with the work.

I received a dispatch yesterday which led me to suppose that the mayor was at Chattahoochee on his way down the river for that purpose, but find this morning that he has not left Columbus yet. Governor Milton, of this State, protests against the obstructions being placed in the river, unless done under direction of the proper military authorities of the Confederate States.

To prevent complications in the matter I respectfully ask instructions from the commanding general on the subject.

Governor Milton requests that no boat be permitted to go below Alum Bluff for the purpose of obstructing the river until the commanding general is heard from.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

JOS. FINEGAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CHARLESTON, S. C., November 22, 1862.

Brigadier General THOMAS JORDAN, Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I beg leave respectfully to present my third weekly report on the progress of the work on marine torpedo ram.

The ship-carpenters during the past week have been actively engaged in planking the vessel.

The special agent sent to Richmond to bring on the engines, boilers, shafting, and propeller has returned with one engine, shafting, and propeller, but was unable to procure the other engine and boiler promised. He is informed that there are two boilers in Wilmington, which were intended for a vessel of about the same size as our ram, begun in that city, but since interrupted by the epidemic.

The Navy Department has a lot of boiler-plate at Richmond which they propose sending to Charleston for one or more of the gunboats now being constructed. If a portion of this could be obtained for our purposes the boilers could be soon constructed.

The procuring of boilers already made would however economize time, which is now invaluable.

It is almost indispensable to the success of the enterprise that a second engine be procured from Richmond. It should not resemble that re-


Page 686 COASTS OF S. C.,GA.,AND MID. AND EAST FLA. Chapter XXVI.