| Charleston |
| February 6, 1865 |
| (Received 9 o'clock 7th) |
| |
| General S. Cooper |
| |
| Your dispatch of 5th inquiring why the
cotton in Savannah
was not destroyed before evacuation of the city is received. The
cotton was distributed throughout the city in cellars, garrets, and
warehouses, where it could not have been burnt without destroying
the city. It had not been sent off by railroad previous to the
cutting of the road {he probably meant the
Charleston & Savannah RR, but the Atlantic & Gulf RR was
also available}, and because railroad transportation was
monopolized for removal of ordnance, commissary, and other important
Government stores. From the cutting of the road to the evacuation of
the city--twelve days--every man was required to work on the lines,
and every wagon, dray, and cart that could be impressed was needed
to keep the troops in a line twelve miles long supplied with
ordnance and commissary stores. Not a man nor a woman could have
been spared to collect the cotton in a place where it could have
been burnt. |
| W. J. Hardee |
| Lieutenant-General |
|