at once to Fair Bluff, Mars Bluff, or Santee, as circumstances may require.

J. C. PEMBERTON,

Major-General, Commanding.

CHARLESTON, May 24, 1862.

General R. E. LEE, Richmond:

General Ripley, with Moore's South Carolina and Gibson's Georgia regiments, ordered to Richmond.

Enemy's gunboats reported in Waccamaw River, have ordered a regiment and section of artillery on line of Manchester and Wilmington Railroad to protect bridges, &c. Gunboats in Stono; shall probably attack. I need more brigadier-generals in this department.

Respectfully,

J. C. PEMBERTON,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, Charleston, May 24, 1862.

Hon. JAMES CHESNUT, Jr.,
Chief of Department of Military South Carolina, Columbia:

SIR: I have the honor very respectfully to acknowledge the receipt of your communication to myself of the 22d* ultimo, as well as a copy of your communication to General R. E. Lee,* Confederate States Army, dated January 20, 1862, relative to the necessity of stationing military guards "at the important bridges on the lines connecting this State with Georgia and North Carolina."

In reply I would respectfully state that it will be impossible for me to furnish from the Confederate soldiers under my command the necessary guards for the points above alluded to. I do not think any greater necessity exists at present why these bridges should be guarded by Confederate States troops than did exist when General Lee had command of this department. The points to be guarded too are in the most unhealthy portions of the State, and would require under the military system a much larger force than 100 men, though I admit they could be guarded by 100 citizens not subject to military duty employed by the different railroad companies, which I confess appears to me the most legitimate kind of guards to employ on such duty. I would also add that my command has been very much diminished since General Lee's departure from this department, and I have within the five minutes received a telegraphic order to send to Virginia one of my brigades.

Regretting my inability to oblige His Excellency the Governor and Council in this, I am, &c.,

J. C. PEMBERTON,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF S. C. AND GA., No. 57. Charleston, May 24, 1862.

I. Colonel Moore, now stationed in the Third Military District, will

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*Not found.

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