The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence. Page: 952
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MO., ARK., KANS., IND. T.. AND DEPT. N. W. [CHAP. XXXIV.
Cline can give you information in referen -e to these routes. Order a
board of survey to assess the damages by troops at the house adjoining
headquarters and owned by Mr. Carnall.
Your obedient servant,
WM. STEELE,
Brigadier- General.
WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,
Richmond, Va., August 3, 1863.
General E. KIRBY SMrIH,
Commanding, &c. :
GENERAL: I wrote you, unofficially, immediately after the fall of
Vicksburg, expressing fully my convictions of the necessities and re-
sponsibilities cast upon you by our late reverses in the Mississippi
Department. Since, I have had no opportunity of writing, but hope
now to enjoy the privilege, as an officer proposes to endeavor to pass
the river to your headquarters.
The great duty of defending the Trans-Mississippi States and of hold-
ing them firm to the Confederacy must now devolve mainly upon you,
and full confidence is felt that the charge could not be more worthily
bestowed.
It is impossible to give you from here special instructions as to the
measures to be ado pted. They must be left, in large measure, to your
superior knowledge of the circumstances of your command and to a
wise discretion. It is suggested that you should put yourself in com-
municatiou with the Governors of the Trans-Mississippi States, and main-
tain, if possible, with them a cordial understanding and secure their
efficient co-operation to your plans. It will likewise be well for you to
confer with and invite the counsel and influence of leading citizens
throughout your department. One great difficulty, I fear you will have
to encounter, will be the want of funds, which it will be difficult regu-
larly to supply from here. I had hoped the Secretary of the Treasury
would have arranged to have an office of issue for the Trans-Mississippi
Department; but he represents that he findsit impracticable to send over
the requisite machinery and the proper corps of officers. He will in
time endeavor to send funds via Havana and Matamoras. An escort,
of course, will have to be provided, and General Magruder should be
instructed to give the requisite instructions to the officer commanding
on the Rio Grande. In addition, I shall lose no opportunity that may
offer to transmit funds to the quartermasters in your department.
Since the fall of Vicksburg the enemy have commenced using the river
for trade, and do this with the greatest possible ostentation, to produce
effect both abroad and with their own people. It becomes of great
importance that the river should be effectually closed, at least for trade,
and surely this can be done by the use of field artillery along the banks,
which must be accessible for hundreds of miles. You could not direct
your efforts to a more important service, and I urge earnestly that ade-
quate corps be o' ganized and means and resources, as far as practicable,
be prepared for the prevention of all trade on the river.
It Is likewise very desirable the enemy should not be able to appro-
priate or raise cotton on the districts -overrun by them. The cotton
already raised, whenever it cannot be moved back to districts of safety
(which should be urged and encouraged by the Government), should be
unhesitatingly destroyed, rather than be allowed to fall into the hands
of the enemy. It will not do to rely for this on the voluntary action of952
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Errata sheets for the Records of the War of the Rebellion include additions and corrections to the text and the index for Series 1, Volume 22.
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United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence., book, 1888; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154590/m1/952/?q=Tappan: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.