Pettigrew, James Johnston (1828-1863) to Edward Manigault
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02602 Author/Creator: Pettigrew, James Johnston (1828-1863) Place Written: Sullivan's Island, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 11 April 1861 Pagination: 2 p. ; 21 x 14 cm. Order a Copy
Requesting artillery supplies in case while taking Fort Sumter "a desperate battle" ensues. Written the day before the fort is attacked. Written as Colonel of the First Regiment Rifles of South Carolina on the day before Fort Sumter surrendered.
James Johnston Pettigrew was the Colonel of the First South Carolina Rifles, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Confederate Army.
Edward Manigault was a Major in the Confederate Army.
Head Quarters
Sullivan's Island
April 11th 1861
Col: Edward Manigault,
Col of Ordnance
Colonel,
I send on the next leaf a requisition for Ordnance, which I think absolutely necessary and hope will be furnished and sent down this afternoon. None has been expended [struck: sine] (with the exception of three cartridge & one ball) since I discovered the previous waste. Only 26 stand if the 12 pds grape ever came to hand, and none of the other articles except those contained in my receipts, For a battery of field [2] pieces [struck: the] under the prospect of fighting a desperate battle if fighting at all, the requisition is the least possible. There are present on the Island only some six hundred & fifty Infanty, for duty, the garrison [struck: als] being also[strikeout] by the Stationary Artillery and a list of 101 [SR]. The field battery will consequently have to play an important and perhap the most important part,
mst Resptfly your obd Ser J. Johnston Pettigrew
Col Reg Rifles,
Comdg
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