| Endorsement on letter from Genl. R. E. Lee
dated 21 July 64 recommending the removal of property from Wilmington
& its distribution upon line of R. R. from Columbia to
Danville. Referred by Hon Se'y of War Aug 5/64 |
| Eng Bureau 6 Aug 1864. Contents noted.
Orders have been given some time since in accordance with the views of
Genl. Lee & the special messenger of the Bureau is now en route to
remove all the stores from Wilmington recently arrived from abroad and
not needed there. |
| Resp'y returned to
the Hon. Sec'y of War. |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Maj. Genl. &c |
| {This indicates Lee's fears of an
amphibious operation against the entire Wilmington & Weldon RR. If
his concern was only about Wilmington, there was no reason to move the
supplies so far -- they could have been relocated to Goldsboro or
Raleigh. But he obviously thinks the local forces will not be able to
protect eastern North Carolina.
The railroads he is suggesting for this line
of storage are: Charlotte & South Carolina, North Carolina and
Piedmont.} |