reason. Every post should keep open its own communication. They will feel far more interest in the work than the members of another regiment, who are to have no share in the honors of the contest. If your excellency agrees with me, I would suggest that orders to that effect be issued immediately, so that they can make use of the means of transportation now engaged in transferring the commissary stores.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. JOHNSTON PETTIGREW,

Colonel Regiment of Rifles.

HEADQUARTERS FORT MOULTRIE, S. C.,
March 8, 1861.

Brigadier-General BEAUREGARD,

Commanding Army Confederate States of America:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of yesterday's date, and thank you for the confidence you express. Did I not, however, make known my deficiencies, I should mislead the officer in command, and possibly entail disaster, from not having such as can be supplies. With regard to the command on Sullivan's Island, I am very glad to be relieved from the details of it, as it enables me to give my attention to what I have no doubt is considered as of the first importance - the preparation of the artillery service. I beg to take the liberty of suggesting the importance, in my opinion, of the first turn in the beach of this island, east of this fort, as a position for a channel battery, rather than the position now occupied by the five-gun battery. From that point the guns can command every channel, and especially the north and south channels, where the vessels having re-enforcements are bound to come in, as things at present stand. Now those channels are only protected by this fort. If labor can be obtained and the work commenced, I would respectfully recommend the removal of four guns from the five-gun battery, leaving one, which can be so arranged as to traverse completely around and make the addition formerly proposed from this fort, or even more, in addition to the mortars which are to be placed there. The Maffitt Channel would be completely blocked and the new battery would materially add to the defenses of the channels mentioned above.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. S. RIPLEY,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Artillery, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS MORRIS ISLAND, S. C.,
March 8, 1861.

To the CHIEF OF STAFF OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL BEAUREGARD:

SIR: I received notice from the Ordnance Department yesterday afternoon that two 24-pounders and two 12-pounders were sent to this island, but without any information of the manner in which they were to come or the point at which the 12-pounders were to be landed.

This morning I learned that a steamer, the Chesterfield, was at the south point of the island, with the four guns, and with a framed stable, to be used for the horses of the battery of field artillery. I sent the quartermaster of my regiment with written orders for the 24-pounders to be landed at the south point, the 12-pounders near Vinegar Hill, and