| Confederate Notice of Capture of Col Nobel and other matters |
HEADQUARTER.
S MILITARY DISTR1CT OF FLORIDA, Tallahassee,
January 11,1865.
Lieut. Col. T. B. Roy, Assistant Adjutant- General:
COLONEL: During the time of Sherman’s advance, the line of
communication with department headquarters being cut, I thought it proper to
send my communications directly to Richmond. I herewith enclose copies of
such communications for the information of the lieutenant-general commanding,
with the hope that the course taken will meet his approbation. I have the honor
to report that the Live Oak connection has been delayed by the sinking of the
temporary work across the Suwannee, but that the bridge is completed, and the
road will be finished in twenty days. I have continued the construction of this
road in order to save the iron and rolling-stock of the Savannah, Albany and
Gulf road to the Confederacy. You will find an explanation of the design in the
enclosed letter to General Cooper.* At a meeting of the directory of the
Savannah, Albany and Gulf road they directed the president to take up this
road from the Altamaha River to the Live Oak connection, at Lawton, and the
laying of this iron from Thomasville to Bainbridge or to Albany. From
Thomasville to Baimibridge the road bed, thirty-seven miles long, is graded,
and the iron could be laid in three months. The Live Oak road is too near the
sea-board, however, to be safe; and if the Florida roads are to be connected
with this line a new road should be built from Monticello to Thomasville, twenty-
one miles. You will see, also, from the letter to General Cooper, the proposed
extension from Quincy to Appalaga, on the Chattahoochee. This last has been
laid before the Secretary of War, by Mr. Hilton, and is also approved by the
governor of Florida. If any of these plans are to be carried out prompt action is
necessary, and with a view to this I am hurrying the conscription of the negroes
for the engineer corps of this State. Under the late legislature we shall probably
get 1,000. In order to establish telegraph communication from here to the forces
on the Altamaha River I shall send Lieutenant-Colonel Beard to get the wire
necessary, if possible, beyond that river. Twenty-five miles of wire is necessary
to make the connection. In the meantime I have established a line of couriers
from Madison to Quitman. My information is that the enemy (10 not amount to
more than 700 at Jacksonville, mostly blacks, and half as many more at Saint
Augustine. They do not come out on this side of the Saint Johns River. Two
scouts between Jacksonville and Saint Augustine captured Colonel Noble,
Seventeenth Connecticut Infantry, commanding at Saint Augustine, and a
Lieutenant Rice, assistant provost-marshal at Jacksonville. The prisoners were
forwarded to Columbus. during my command here Tallahassee and Marianna
have been fortified, and such other fortifications as are considered necessary
are in course of construction. As our line of supplies is now by the
Chattahoochee, I have put 100 hands on the road from Chattahoochee to
Quimicy to put it in order. I am using my best efforts to discipline the troops of
this command, but the extent of territory and the large amount of guard duty
and coast to be defended, prevent the concentration so necessary to discipline.
In order to effect this concentration I have called on His Excellency Governor
Milton for militia to do guard duty at posts.
With the hope that these measures will be found judicious by the lieutenant-
general commanding, I am,
Colonel, & c., W. MILLER,
General Commander
S MILITARY DISTR1CT OF FLORIDA, Tallahassee,
January 11,1865.
Lieut. Col. T. B. Roy, Assistant Adjutant- General:
COLONEL: During the time of Sherman’s advance, the line of
communication with department headquarters being cut, I thought it proper to
send my communications directly to Richmond. I herewith enclose copies of
such communications for the information of the lieutenant-general commanding,
with the hope that the course taken will meet his approbation. I have the honor
to report that the Live Oak connection has been delayed by the sinking of the
temporary work across the Suwannee, but that the bridge is completed, and the
road will be finished in twenty days. I have continued the construction of this
road in order to save the iron and rolling-stock of the Savannah, Albany and
Gulf road to the Confederacy. You will find an explanation of the design in the
enclosed letter to General Cooper.* At a meeting of the directory of the
Savannah, Albany and Gulf road they directed the president to take up this
road from the Altamaha River to the Live Oak connection, at Lawton, and the
laying of this iron from Thomasville to Bainbridge or to Albany. From
Thomasville to Baimibridge the road bed, thirty-seven miles long, is graded,
and the iron could be laid in three months. The Live Oak road is too near the
sea-board, however, to be safe; and if the Florida roads are to be connected
with this line a new road should be built from Monticello to Thomasville, twenty-
one miles. You will see, also, from the letter to General Cooper, the proposed
extension from Quincy to Appalaga, on the Chattahoochee. This last has been
laid before the Secretary of War, by Mr. Hilton, and is also approved by the
governor of Florida. If any of these plans are to be carried out prompt action is
necessary, and with a view to this I am hurrying the conscription of the negroes
for the engineer corps of this State. Under the late legislature we shall probably
get 1,000. In order to establish telegraph communication from here to the forces
on the Altamaha River I shall send Lieutenant-Colonel Beard to get the wire
necessary, if possible, beyond that river. Twenty-five miles of wire is necessary
to make the connection. In the meantime I have established a line of couriers
from Madison to Quitman. My information is that the enemy (10 not amount to
more than 700 at Jacksonville, mostly blacks, and half as many more at Saint
Augustine. They do not come out on this side of the Saint Johns River. Two
scouts between Jacksonville and Saint Augustine captured Colonel Noble,
Seventeenth Connecticut Infantry, commanding at Saint Augustine, and a
Lieutenant Rice, assistant provost-marshal at Jacksonville. The prisoners were
forwarded to Columbus. during my command here Tallahassee and Marianna
have been fortified, and such other fortifications as are considered necessary
are in course of construction. As our line of supplies is now by the
Chattahoochee, I have put 100 hands on the road from Chattahoochee to
Quimicy to put it in order. I am using my best efforts to discipline the troops of
this command, but the extent of territory and the large amount of guard duty
and coast to be defended, prevent the concentration so necessary to discipline.
In order to effect this concentration I have called on His Excellency Governor
Milton for militia to do guard duty at posts.
With the hope that these measures will be found judicious by the lieutenant-
general commanding, I am,
Colonel, & c., W. MILLER,
General Commander
| Col Nobel, 7th Connecticut Commander at St. Augustine |