Headquarters, Petersburg, March 15, 1865
|
General J. E. Johnston |
Comdg. Dept. North and South Carolina, Georgia, and
Florida |
|
General, |
I received today by Major Saunders your
letter of the 11th instant. You will probably have received by this
time my communication of the same date, in which I endeavored to
describe to you my condition. You are right in supposing that the
course you may be able to pursue will materially affect mine. If you
are forced back from Raleigh, and we be deprived of the supplies
from East North Carolina, I do not know how this army can be
supported. Yet a disaster to your army will not improve my
condition, and while I would urge upon you to neglect no opportunity
of delivering the enemy a successful blow, I would not recommend you
to engage in a general battle without a reasonable prospect of
success. I think it more probable that Sherman will unite Schofield
with him at Raleigh than that he will unite with Schofield near
Kinston; but in either event an opportunity may occur for you and
Bragg to unite upon one of their columns and crush it. I do not
think I could maintain my position were I further to reduce my
force. That you may understand my situation I will state that the
supplies in Virginia are exhausted. The enemy has succeeded in
cutting off the Weldon {Petersburg RR} railroad, and my only reliance is the
communication by Danville {Piedmont RR and
Richmond & Danville RR}. General Grant has intrenched himself on
both sides of James River, stretching toward the swamps of the
Chickahominy on the north bank, and Hatcher's Run on the south. On
this long line, with far inferior numbers, I confront him. His
numerical superiority has been increased since detaching Hoke,
Conner, and Hampton. His present preponderance in cavalry, and his
ability unperceived to mass his troops while holding his
intrenchments on either side of the river, enables him constantly to
threaten our flanks and causes legitimate apprehension for the
safety of the Danville road. You will therefore perceive that if I
contract my lines as you propose, with the view of holding Richmond,
our only resource for obtaining subsistence will be cut off, and the
city must be abandoned; whereas, if I take a position to maintain
the road, Richmond will be lost. I think you can now understand the
condition of affairs and correctly estimate the importance of
resisting the farther advance of Sherman. But should that not be
possible, you will also see that I cannot remain here, but must
start out and seek a favorable opportunity for battle. I shall
maintain my position as long as it appears advisable, both from the
moral and material advantages of holding Richmond and Virginia. If
obliged to abandon it, so far as I can now see I shall be compelled
to fall back to the Danville road for subsistence, and unless that
subsistence can be supplied from the State of North Carolina, I do
not know whence it can be obtained. If Richmond is given up the
sooner we can strike one of the columns of the enemy the better, but
on which side of the Roanoke must depend on circumstances. Should
Gaston be your best point to reach the Roanoke, as stated by
Generals Holmes and Gatlin, you would have the advantage of the
bridge at that place on which to cross the river; but unless you
could bring supplies with you I think your army would suffer. I have
sent an engineer officer to examine the crossings, roads, &c.,
from Danville to Field's Ferry, below Clarksville. I recommend you
do the same. Information as to what provisions and forage can be
relied on I think also desirable. In my opinion the farther east we
confine Sherman the better, and the more room it will allow for
maneuvering the armies. I have endeavored to give you all
information necessary for determining your operations. If there is
any point on which you wish further, please advise me. I have not
pretended to lay down fixed rules which at this distance and at this
time cannot safely be done, but rely upon your good judgment and
skill to accomplish everything that is possible to attain our common
end--the greatest success. Unity of purpose and harmony of action
between the two armies, with the blessing of God, I trust will
relieve us from the difficulties that now beset us. |
Most truly and respectfully, yours, |
R. E. Lee |
General |
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