Tuesday, May 20, 2014

April 1, 1864 (Tuesday): Advise Richmond

Governor's Mansion, Jackson Mississippi



JACKSON, April 1, 1864.
(Via Mobile. Received 2d.)
President DAVIS,
Richmond, Va.:
   Per conference with General Lee of this department. He is fully impresed by information deemed reliable that the army corps now being sent from this department is to re-enforce Army of Potomac, to operate against Richmond. No early advance of the enemy in this quarter threatened or apprehended.


E. BARKSDALE.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 52, Part 2, Page 650.

The "Lee of this department" was S. D. Lee, the cavalry officer, who is advising Richmond of his impression troops leaving his front are bound for Richmond.  The consensus was building in the halls of the Confederate War Department that a major effort would be made by Grant to take Richmond.  The question was whether to bring Longstreet back east with his troops to oppose it directly, or to send he and them to Kentucky to relieve pressure on the Army of Northern Virginia by drawing off troops from Grant.

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