[JUNE 25, 1863.]

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:

Telegram is received. No more troops can be sent away from this department without losing railroad and country between here and Savannah. Georgetown district would have also to be abandoned.

See may letter of 15th instant to General Cooper.

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

HDQRS. DEPT. SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA,
Charleston, S. C., June 25, 1863.

His Excellency Governor M. L. BONHAM,

Columbia, S. C.:

SIR: Your letter of the 19th instant, the original report of Major Niernsee, on the obstruction of the Sante Riever, and the battery at Taber's Point, has been received, and I return herewith his lucid report. I can find on my files no correspondence with the State Military Council relative to that battery, but my impression is that I agreed to give a few guns for it, if practicable; but since that period I have had to send additional guns to Georgetown and other points in the department, which leaves neither guns nor artillerists for the Taber Battery.

In case of necessity, however, one of the siege-train batteries could be sent there. One or two traverses in the battery would have added greatly to its strength and efficiency. I will remark here that at Captain Gaillrad's light artillery company is in charge of a battery at Lenud's Ferry on the Santee, with two heavy and four light pieces, of which three are rifled.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General, Commanding.

CHARLESTON, S. C., June 25, 1863.

Major General W. H. C. WHITING,

Commanding at Wilmington, N. C.:

DEAR GENERAL: Your letter of the 17th instant was duly received on my return from a tour of inspection to Florida, but I have not been able to answer it until now. I will be happy to do all in my power to aid you in your herculean task of cleaning out that "Augean stable" of speculators, but my power is limited, and I have little favor or support to expect from Richmond. Indeed, I have called to their attention several of the abuses you complained of, but I was not even favored with an acknowledgment of my letter or telegram. I have directed several orders to be drawn up by my chief of staff, which I will forward you as soon as published. Our pilots here are already in the field, and we have no Government vessel requiring their services for this port. If I could be made aware of any of yours trying to run the blockade here, I would require of them your pass. I send you herewith a grand plan of campaign for the whole Confederacy,* which I firmly believe could have been executed with great facility and complete success in a very few weeks.

Please return me the paper when through with it.

Yours, very truly,

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

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*Not found.

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