General,—I enclose herewith a copy of a telegram received to-day from the
President relieving me, at my request, of the general command of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and
Florida.
My presence is absolutely required at this moment at
Montgomery and with the Army of Tennessee, and I cannot inform you when I will be able to return in this direction.
The interruption of railroad communication might render it impracticable to get back in time to be of assistance to you, should you require my aid suddenly.
The telegram of the
President not being explicit as to the status of
Augusta, I have requested that it should be included in your Department, as you now have under you the whole of
Wheeler's cavalry and nearly all the available forces of
Georgia, which are also required by you for the defence of
South Carolina.
The defence of the city is so intimately connected with that of the western portion of this State, that you will consider it within the limits of your Department until further orders from the War Department.
I have already given you all the verbal instructions possible for the defence of
Charleston and this State.
The answer of the War Department, not yet received, to my telegram of the 27th instant, will determine whether, in the event of evacuating this city, you will retire towards
Georgia or
North Carolina as a base.
The first is your natural base; but should you have reason to expect large reinforcements from the latter State, you should, of course, retire in that direction.
You will apply to the defence of
Charleston the same principle applied to that of
Savannah: that is, defend it as long as compatible with the safety of your forces.
Having no reason at present to expect succor from an army of relief, you must save your troops for the defence of
South Carolina and
Georgia.
The fall of
Charleston would, necessarily, be a terrible blow to the
Confederacy, but its fall, with the loss of its brave garrison, would be still more fatal to our cause.
You will; however, make all the preparations necessary for the possible evacuation of the city, and “clear your decks for action.”
Should it not take place, the trouble and expense of transportation will amount to little; but should you be compelled to evacuate the city when unprepared, the loss of public property would be incalculable.
All the cotton in the city should be removed; and if any be in the city at the time of its evacuation, it must be destroyed.
