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.
Transcript:
Head Quarters Manassa. Dept. Va.
Camp Pickens June 12th 1861
To his Excellency
President Jeff Davis
Sir:
The Bearer Lt. Col. Sam. Jones of the Prov.l Army of Va, a member of my General Staff, has been instructed by me to lay before your Excellency a diagram with my views relative to the operations of the present campaign in this State, which should be acted upon at once. The enemy seem to be taking the offensive towards Harper’s Ferry, and a few days hence may find Genl. J. E. Johnston in such a critical condition as to render it impossible to relieve him; if he were ordered to abandon forthwith his present position and concentrate suddenly his forces with mine, guarding with small detachments all the passes through which the Enemy might follow him, we could, by a bold and rapid movement forward, retake Arlington Heights and Alexandria (if not too strongly fortified and garrisoned) which would have the effect of recalling all the enemy’s forces from Northern Va. For the protection of Washington.
But should Genl. Johnston be unable to unite his forces with mine, then he ought to be instructed to retreat at the proper time towards Richmond through the Valley of Virginia, checking the enemy whenever and wherever he can; when compelled to abandon my present position, I will fall back also on Richmond; the forces along the lower Potomac, on the Peninsula and at Norfolk may have to do likewise; then acting on interior lines from Richmond as a centre (our forces being increased by the reserves at that point), we could crush, in rapid succession and in detail, the several columns of the enemy, which, I have supposed, would move on three or four different lines. With 35,000 men properly handled, I have not the least doubt that we would annihilate 50,000 of the Enemy. I beg and entreat that a concerted plan of operations be adopted at once by the Government for its different columns; otherwise, we will be assailable in detail by superior forces, and will be cut off or destroyed entirely.
Lt. Col. Jones will present my views more in detail to your Excellency
(Signed) G. T. Beauregard
Brig. Genl Comdg.
Citation: G. T. (Gustave Toutant) Beauregard (1818-1893), letter [draft] to Jefferson Davis. Manassas, 12 June 1861.AMs 356/25.1