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:
May 19 1862
By telegraph from Columbus Miss 19 1862
To Gen. G. T. Beauregard
There is a large amount of iron & machinery in Mobile that would be lost to the Confederacy if the city is taken. Would it not be well to send some on [someone?] there to take it all on account of the Confederacy & remove it to Montgomery Ala
W R Hunt
Citation:W. R. Hunt, telegram to G. T. Beauregard. Columbus, Miss; 19 May 1862. AMs 1168/11