| War Department |
| Engineer's Bureau, C. S. A. |
| Richmond, Va. July 14, 1863 |
| |
| General S. Cooper |
| Adjutant and Inspector General |
| Richmond, Va. |
| |
| General, |
| The condition of affairs in the
southwest and west makes it probable that the enemy will make raids
with a view to reach the city of Atlanta, Ga., to effect, if possible, the destruction of the Government
establishments at that place. These, as you know, are on a large
scale, and consist of ordnance shops and stores, quartermaster and
commissary stores, and the best rolling-mills now in use for the
manufacture of railroad iron or gunboat plates. Besides these, there
are other manufactories owned and directed by private interests. For
their protection we earnestly recommend that prompt steps be taken
to defend the city of Atlanta, and to this end all the companies that can be formed for home
defense should be promptly organized under an intelligent and active
officer. The citizens there have made attempts recently to form a
corps for defense, but it is stated they have been unsuccessful, for
want of a head. A leading citizen of the place states that "it
is the general desire that Major Wright, of the ordnance service, be
ordered from headquarters to take control of the defense of the
place," &c. |
| Maj. M. H. Wright, ordnance department,
is an officer well qualified to perform the duty of the station to
which it is "the general desire" of the citizens of Atlanta
he should be assigned. |
| An engineer officer will be instructed
to examine at once the approaches to the place, and to take prompt
measures, in concert with the officer commanding the forces, to
establish proper defenses. |
| We, in consideration of the great
military importance of Atlanta, and its relation to the main lines
of railroad connections in the south and southwest, respectfully
recommend that authority be given to Maj. M. H. Wright, ordnance
officer, to assume control of the defenses and troops at Atlanta,
Ga., with power to organize companies into battalions for local
defense, as provided for by act approved August 21,1861, under the
regulations established by General Orders, No. 86, Adjutant and
Inspector General's Office, June 22, 1863. |
| To give this officer the desired
control, we recommend that acting rank, at least as high as
lieutenant-colonel, be conferred on him. |
| Respectfully submitted |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Colonel and Chief of Engineer Bureau |
| J. Gorgas |
| Colonel and Chief of Ordnance |
| (Submitted by Adjutant and Inspector General to the
Secretary of War) |
|