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 is one of approximately 1000 military telegrams in P.G.T. Beauregard’s papers at the Rosenbach.
Transcript:
Corinth April 6 1862
By Telegraph from Decatur 1862
To Genl Johnston
News from Columbia of Thursday supposed from thirty to forty thousand have passed. [Buell?] left Wednesday with Thomas rear division; the first leaving on Monday about 2,500 left at Columbia & the same amt sick there on Friday. there was some two hundred or three hundred federal cavalry in Lawrenceburg. I fear they captured some of your scouts as seven are missing yet.
J. B. Biffle
Lt Col
Comdg Post
Citation:J. B. Biffle, telegram to Joseph Johnston. Decatur, Miss.; 6 April 1862. AMs 1168/11