HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL ARMY, C. S.,
Charleston, S. C., May 18, 1861.

His Excellency Governor FRANCIS W. PICKENS,

Charleston, S. C.:

SIR: Your favor of the 16th instant is received. The suggestions referred to by you were furnished by me for your information and guidance, as I could no longer distribute the South Carolina Volunteers called out by me, but ordered to be disbanded in obedience to instructions from the War Department at Montgomery, but since then having been authorized to muster into service such of them as would be designated by you, I will distribute the latter as soon as they shall have been received into said service.

With regard to the construction of those new batteries required for the defense of the coast of South Carolina, I beg leave to state that I have no means at my disposal (or I believe of that of the War Department) for that object, yet they ought to be constructed at once, as well as those I shall recommend in a few days for the defense of the coast from Charleston to Georgetown entrance, inclusive. I believe their cost will not be great, for the labor, I am told, will be cheerfully furnished by the planters in the neighborhood of each work; but the materials, coast of transportation, subsistence, &c., must be furnished by the State or Confederate Government. To depend on the latter might consume a great deal of time.*

I remain, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[6.]

HEADQUARTERS STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
May 18, 1861.

L. M. HATCH,

Quartermaster-General of South Carolina:

SIR: The orders of yesterday as to relieving the volunteer regiments have been countermanded, and you will proceed to furnish them with all necessary matters from your department.

By order:

S. R. GIST,

Adjutant-General of South Carolina.

[6.]

HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL FORCES, C. S. A.,
Charleston, May 18, 1861.

Colonel L. M. HATCH,

Quartermaster-General:

COLONEL: The brigadier-general commanding desires that when Colonel Ripley forwards to you two pieces of the flag-staff from Fort Sumter that you have it delivered to Adams Express Company, who have volunteered to transport it free of charge to Mrs. Francis S. Bartow, Savannah, Ga., with whose name please have it marked.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. R. CHISOLM,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

[6.]

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*Part here omitted will be found quaoted in Beauregard to Lee, May 19, p. 173.

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