Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born general of the Confederate States Army. He had graduated second in his class from West Point in 1838 and was an admirer of Napoleon. He achieved fame early in the Civil War for commanding the Fort Sumter bombardment and as the victor of the first battle of Manassas. He later served in the Western Theater (including Shiloh and Corinth), Charleston, and the defense of Richmond, but his career was hampered by friction with Jefferson Davis and other generals.
This telegram is from The Telegraphic History of the Civil War; a compiled album of telegrams to Beauregard from Davis, Lee, Johnston and others.
Transcript:
Head Quarters Corinth April 20th 1862
By Telegraph from Richmond 19th 1861
To Genl Beauregard
Dilworth’s regt and all the arms in transition from Florida ordered to you—Can you assign a major Genl to van Dorn.
R. E. Lee
21 pd
[Written in pencil at bottom of telegraph form] Major Generals scarce here—volunteers in a broken & wooded country require small Divisions to be effective—Otherwise they are unwieldy—Gen Little is very highly spoken of—Col Polignac would make very good Brigadier—G.T.B.
Citation:Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), telegram to G.T. Beauregard. Richmond, 19 April 1862. In The telegraphic history of the Civil War, 1861-1865. AMs 434/16