[
53]
And on the same day he also telegraphed as follows:
‘The enemy burned the railroad bridge yesterday.
They were in force more than twenty thousand.
Retired during the night towards
Wilmington, devastating the country as they go. I have not transportation sufficient for ammunition even.
Will move as soon as possible.
They have a large army, and I believe are aiming at
Wilmington.’
The reason for such ‘great haste’ on the part of the enemy was not perceptible, as
General Smith's forces did not exceed six thousand men, without cavalry, and exclusive of the troops sent by
General Beauregard, which, owing to unavoidable delays from
Wilmington, had not reached their destination in time.
On the other hand, the danger apparently threatening
General Whiting's Department was not a serious one; and this expedition, from which so much was expected at the
North, proved to be a complete failure.
Less than three days after these events
General Beauregard was informed, through
Colonel Clinch, commanding in
Southeast Georgia, that the enemy's gunboats had left St. Simon's Bay, on their way to
Charleston, which, it was reported, would soon be attacked, by land and water.
This news was in some degree confirmed by the following telegram from the
Secretary of War:
Information from
L. Heylinger, a friend to our cause in
Nassau—with the assurance that it comes from New York by a trustworthy source—states that the attack on
Charleston will be made, about the holidays, by four ironclads.
This news has not got into the papers.
The substance of the foregoing despatch being repeated the next day,
General Beauregard began to prepare for the emergency.
As might have been expected, his first step was to recall his troops from
North Carolina.
He telegraphed
General Whiting to that effect, and at the same time authorized him to select either a 42-pounder rifled gun or a 10-inch columbiad, which would be sent him from
Richmond to
Charleston, and to use it for the defence of
Wilmington.
General Whiting, in a letter dated December 31st, thanked
General Beauregard for his readiness to assist him, and took occasion to say, in his characteristic
