Sale, John B. (fl. 1864) to Braxton Bragg

Montgomery Sept. 13: 64
Dear Sir;
I wrote you from Macon the 11th. - I then expected to have to go by Meridian to ship thence to Aberdeen the two servants & baggage of my decd. friend Lieut. Sykes, which were in my charge. On arriving here I found a gentleman going direct, by whom I sent them. I therefore stop a day - from last Evening - to get transportation changed, & leave at 4 p.m. to day on the Holland road for Mobile. While waiting I may as well trouble you with a line.
Sherman & Hood's 10 days Armistice is troubling the public mind hereabout. All are down upon it, even to Forsyth of Mobile, who at least does not captiously or maliciously criticise. They think Sherman is not only relieved of the responsibility of a forcible expulsion of the women & children during military operations around there, which would keenly shock the moral sense of the World more than any previous enormity; but that he will industriously improve the interval to restore his communications, interrupted by Wheeler.
I still find, from Macon here, the abundant number of absentee officers & soldiers I alluded to in my letter from Macon. Of course they have authority. Many are sick & wounded; but very many are neither. I learn from officers & such that the [2] cavalry & other stragglers from the Army, in the circumjacent Country in Geo: are a decided pest & nuisance, and wholly unlike the old state of things in the Army of Tenn. On this subject I enclose a newspaper slip.
What do you think will now be Sherman's course? Some think he will for the present pause, make all things fast and secure, as far as he has conquered, strengthen his communications & fortify his newly acquired base, and then commence moving down the M. & W. P.l RR toward this place, to meet the advancing [successes] (if any) at Mobile, or to cooperate with that siege. He has utterly demolished the Macon road out from Atlanta, as far as he covers it, showing thereby no intention of advancing further in that direction. I gather that some of the Senior Generals are of the opinion above indicated. If Canby & Sherman could meet here, our Armies East are cut off from supplies, & the Confederacy again divided. In view of the possibility of the above Conjecture being correct, the importance of your place to connect with Union Montgy Springs by R.R. becomes urgent. The Enemy can easily reach Opelika even now by a rail from the direction of Rome. I think Danl. W. Adams intends writing upon this subject, among others, in an early letter to you.
Gen. Adams came here with me from Opelika. He complains that although [3] the Reserve & Militia have been turned over to him, yet Withers & Watts still appear to command them & withdraw them at will. He came here to remonstrate against this, and said he would afterwards write you the result.
Maury, singularly enough, has carved out a District for Adams, ("Central & Northern Alabama"), which includes the parallel of Montgy & Selma on the South, and up to the Tenn line on the North, thus embracing Ruddy's Command. It was in this way that Ruddy's Court was taken from him. It seems that the Act establishing the Court does not limit it to Ruddy's Command, i.e. the Tenn. Valley, but assigns it to N. Ala., which is construed to extend far south of the Valley. This, the members of the Court discovered & made known to the Military Commander, and he accordingly [struck: place] allowed the Court to be located at Talladega (a comfortable place), & issued an Order placing it under Control of Adams, the Commander of the Dist. of Cent. & N. Ala. I explained to the General that it would not be endured by the President that Ruddy's District of N. Ala. should be subordinate to the other Dist, or report otherwise than direct to Dept. Hd.Qrs. That Ruddy had been wrested from the grasp of Forrest on the other side, & would not be allowed to be equally absorbed by anyone else on this side, [4] that the Court was created specially for the Valley District now commanded by Ruddy, which fact was privately known to its members, however, that Act may have been accidentally misworded by the one who drew it; and that the Dept. Commander had been by letter directed to Order them to report to Ruddy instantly; & in default, to report the fact that the Court might be discontinued, and a new one afterwards appointed. - I enclose newspaper slips shewing the extent of Adams' Command, & an Order of Maury for the Court to report to him &c. - Adams is by no means, insubordinate on the subject, was previously uninformed of much that I told him, & will I think readily conform.
will leave before I return, & will speak to Gen Taylor on the subject. I cannot for my life, see the need of a District within a District, which is again within a Department. All that is necessary is that means shall be adopted, by a perfect courier line, to keep the Dept Comdr. informed of all important news in each Dist., & he can then command the proper cooperation necessary in both, letting the Senior command the Junior, for the time being, when acting together in one enterprise. They have fallen into the error here of utterly ignoring & underestimating the importance of Ruddy's Command & [illegible] position. [5] I will write a private letter to the members of the Court before I return.
Dillon's Brigade is in Adams' Command. It consists of a Miss. Regt. (Col.C.G. Armistead), & an Ala. Regt, & Ala. Battn. - Col. Armistead, a Mississippian, & Col Dillon of Ala, are rivals for appt. to Command Brig. Adams has written to me, a letter intended for you, requesting that the matter be deferred til he can try both of them & decide. I second the request. I know Armistead well. He has plenty of mind, & may do. But if they are not first rate, I suggest it as a good place to put Col Hays or Capt Wat Phelan.
I again ask that Wheeler's Court be not appointed til I return, with names which I may gather up on the way, to choose from I am reminded of this by meeting here Capt Thos W. Brown, Judge Adv. of Hardee's Corps Court, who will move hard for a place on Wheeler's. He is execrable as a selection. I know him.
You may have seen that the Opposition are crying aloud for Beauregard to be sent to A.T., and are trying to make public opinion on it. I send you a newspaper slip from the Montgy Advertiser. The Confederacy is trying its old trick, (first employed to effect your removal), [6] of publishing as a rumor in "well informed circles" that the Dept has decided to send him here - and heartily approving the decision. They had even carried it so far that it was announced in the streets of Macon that he had arrived there on his way, & was serenaded the night before.
In this connection I repeat what I wrote you last, that you ought to come to the vicinity of A.T. for the next two months at least. I alluded to the reasons in my other letter. That letter (as to all its suggestions & information) was read to & concurred in by Marcus Wright. Gen Adams, & many others officers with whom I have since conversed, earnestly concur as to your coming as suggested. They do not hesitate on the subject. Some of the Officers say it is impossible to overestimate the influence of your presence with or near that Army. They say there was universal joy at your appearance before, and some of the men march two miles to look at you again. You cannot do as much good, General, in any part of the work as you can here. All the points of reform, inspection &c, are in reach from here. I can easily keep house in Richmond, with the assistance of the Clerks, during your absence, and [7] at your stay as long as you choose, or need be, out here. Someone should stay behind of course, and I suppose I would do best in some respects, & would rather do it for the present for several reasons. But that you should come here, soon, and have not a particle of doubt.
I have written too hastily I fear to be either systematic or intelligible - my hour for leaving draws near, & there is a crowd around me.
My next from Mobile. Whithers will be on the train with me. I think he is a Johnston - Malcontent. I will see. In haste,
Respectfully,
Yr friend
Jno. B. Sall
Gen Bragg
Richd
[docket]
Col Sall.
Montogmery,
Septr 13. 64.

Observations in
his travels -