| Hdqrs. Department Alabama and West
Florida |
| Pensacola, Fla., March 9, 1862 |
| |
| Col. Thomas M. Jones |
| |
| Sir, |
| You will receive with this
an order assigning you to the command of the troops remaining here.
You are aware that by instructions from Major-General Bragg
preparations have been made to evacuate this post. |
| I have ordered
Lieutenant-Colonel Conoley, commanding Fourth Battalion Alabama
Volunteers in Pensacola, on receiving an order from the commanding
officer here, or if attacked by an overpowering force, or on
discovering buildings of the navy-yard to be on fire, immediately to
burn and destroy all public buildings, including the {Alabama
& Florida (of Florida) RR} railroad depot, all machinery
and machine-shops, cotton, lumber, the wharves, and all boats of
every description in Pensacola, then retire to Pollard, destroying
as far as possible the railroad, and moving the iron to the
interior. An engine and sufficient number of platform cars will be
placed at his command for this service. |
| I have ordered
Lieutenant-Colonel Beard, commanding battalion Florida regiment at
Deer Point, if attacked in force, or if he should discover two or
more buildings in the navy-yard to be on fire, immediately to fire
his huts, take his men on the steamer Tom Murray, which is placed at
his disposal and ordered to remain at Deer Point constantly subject
to his orders, proceed to Crigler, Bagdad, and Milton, burn the Tom
Murray and all boats of every description, every foot of lumber and
the saw-mills, breaking and destroying the machinery, then to march
across the country to Brewton, 7 miles above Pollard, on the
railroad {the Alabama & Florida (of
Alabama) RR}, and there await further orders. Preparations
have been made for burning all the buildings of any value from Fort
McRee to Pensacola. and for disabling all the guns and their
carriages. You will keep constantly on the alert, and, if attacked
in such force as to render it impossible in your judgment to defend
the place, you will immediately cause the guns remaining in the
batteries to be disabled and all the buildings fired; then retire
with all your troops, and proceed as rapidly as possible to Mobile.
Florida Railroad {Alabama & Florida (of
Florida) RR} and rolling stock are at your command. In the
mean time you will continue with all possible dispatch to dismount
the remaining shell and rifled guns, and send them, with the
carriages, ammunition, and implements, to Pensacola, for
transportation to Mobile, and all other guns and supplies to
Montgomery. |
| You are aware that I still
have some hope of being able to hold this place. The governor of
Alabama has promised to send here by the middle or end of this week
about 1,500 men. Five hundred are expected to arrive to-night. As
they arrive they will report to you. By distributing them
judiciously at the different batteries you may prevent the enemy
from discovering that other troops have been withdrawn. |
| The Eighth Regiment of
Mississippi Volunteers has been ordered to proceed on Tuesday next,
the 11th instant, to Corinth, Miss. As soon thereafter as
transportation can be provided you will send first the Mississippi
Battalion, then the Florida Battalion, then the Fourth Alabama
Battalion to Corinth, Miss., to report to the commanding officer at
that place. If the Florida Battalion moves before it becomes
necessary to evacuate this place, Lieutenant-Colonel Beard will hand
over his written instructions in regard to the destruction of
property at Milton and other places to Lieutenant-Colonel Conoley,
who will assign this duty to two companies of his battalion. |
| If, as I trust will not be
the case, you are forced to evacuate the place, you will proceed
with your command as rapidly as possible to Mobile, and thence to
Corinth, Miss., and report to the commanding officer at that place. |
| I am, sir, very respectfully, your
obedient servant, |
| Sam. Jones |
| Brigadier-General |
|