Pickens, Francis Wilkinson (1805-1869) to Jefferson Davis

June 12th 62
To President Davis
Dear Sir
I red. this morning your Telegram and answer that Genl. Bragg was the proper man to be sent for a few weeks to Charleston if he [will] be spared. If this could be done it would be of great service. Bragg was once stationd on Killian's Island, and has the energy & judgment that are so _______ [require] there. Genl. [Pendleton] [seems confused & uncertain?] about every thing, except that he was determined to [dismantle] the [Cabs/Cobb] Island & [Battery] Island. I ____ & [wrote] Genl. Lee [agst.] it, for I know it would open up the approach to Charleston & enable the enemy to [burn] [his] gunboats in [the stores] near enough to support any [movement] [he] would make on James Island. This is too plain a proposition to be argued. This object will be to float the batteries near the [supply] above fort [Jackson] & [shell] the city without the least expense to Change ___ [Union ___ It] ___ was thought ____ approaches the British took the city in the Revolution & attempted the same in 1813- Cobb Island is the only battery point to ____ troops [strikeout] to protect James Island. It gives the enemy all the [battery] [protection] & the [strikeout] advantage of the [sea] experience & drive __ ____ to ___ a line from Elliotts, out to [Secessionville?] [struck: abundance] along which no white [man] can live in Summer with [struck: out] fever.
They ____ had under their ___ ___ gun boats & ___ the regular approaches & of course it is only a ____ of time unless we storm their works constantly & drive them [strikeout] back. Such is the peculiar nature of an climate that [one].
Caution is death while another in sight is safe and it was difficult to make Genl. Robertson realize this We also supposed the forty odd [guns] we had on [Cabs/Cobbs] Island battery [2] & _____ Island would be offered &c- whereas nothing but heavy iron clad boats could do this, & they [resist] [strikeout] of light draft, for the surf or the bar is so high, and the greatest depth at high today only eleven feet. The enemy have nothing but _________ boats this side of [Hatteras].
Genl. Pendleton also ordered the batteries off the shore of Georgetown dismantled. There ____ there was also at high tide only 11 feet, & the entrance no circulation that it was difficult for any boats to pass under batteries [strikeout] [inserted: particularly] [struck: only half with] as they were obliged to come under [half with wage] a part of the way, & at no part could they be even [strikeout] this quarter. The escape from Cut Island battery for a garrison was also complete in my ________ and if the batteries had been kept up as I [strikeout] _______ ____ ______ ____ [since] by 1861- no vessels would have attempted an entrance this season. Whereas now to be [opened] of the [violent] [county] in the south on _______, & ______ - and [exband] more [sixty] ______ _______, & artillery discharged the ______ of a _____ out of one million but five [banded] ___ [bushels] [insert: ___ ___] besides the _____. We did this without even giving one the slightest notice & I did not know of it until it had been done eight days.
The cannons were state cannons and two [wages] [rum] would have paid for their cost, and yet [strikeout: he gave as] the value of five hundred wagons has been but by [expensing] the [extra].
If I had known of it, I would have _______ & defended the [water] with troops at the expense of the ____ but it cost about it might ___ with two hundred & fifty [rum] and the cannon [inspection] ___ [vessels] of the enemy would [burn extend] this however, and [vessels] of an _____ had an opportunity to [burn extend], as the [Nabille] did a few months ago and thus ____ herself.
[3] I am very sorry to bother you ____ but [strikeout] next one ______ [strikeout] also I was [induced] [reluctantly] [strikeout: as of] to speak of Genl. Robertson as I did. I considered it of great _____ _____ to ____ confiding that Charleston shall be defended from capture as it is was almost the only port that the _____ we can hold in _____ with the [strikeout: world] foreign world. I _____ [strikeout: called] spoke of Genl. Robertson [poorly] because the _____ was _____. I have no doubt in command of a Brigade or Division [strikeout: of] he would _____ out ____ a a ______ & good officer. But to command the defense of Charleston [reprise] a [variety of content?]. The _____ around are complicated & difficult to cover. The forts & [strikeout] [bay] ____, with the defense of the [insert:____] ____, [strike out: and ___] with the _____ & [strike out: Chevaliers] Chevaliers, & [bastions] & _____ & ditches &c. &c. and the approach by water & flats, all require [insert: a knowledge of] the ____ & not ____ barbs of modern war. A Genl may be have & [enterprising?] upon an offer & even [field] & yet be totally unfit to command as complicated & varied a command as he would have at Charleston. Genl. Lee was ____ united to such a position, for he was thoroughly informed ____ yet [from] a perfect gentleman and thorough soldier. Genl. [P?R] is [sensitive] and [petulant], as if he [strikeout] [insert: feared to awful a] suggestion [insert: was made] because it might be supposed by [us] doing the right ___ a doubt as to his standing & ability &c. I am sorry to trouble you so much but I felt it due that I should make a proper explanation as what I had the liberty of saying in reference to Genl. Robertson. Nothing but the very critical ___ of things & the great danger as to Charleston could induce one to say any thing in the slightest degree ____ him.
I think [R…'s, Burnside's?] fleet will be in our waters, & [4] that under the gun boats they can [insterted: now] ____ any amount of [river] at Battery & [Cabs] Island or [a Station] and [strikeout] when they exhaust they will [with] this ___ [approach] [strikeout] upon our [lives], and upon ____ they will [run] up with their gun boats in the ____ to put Robertson at Elliotts ___ and ____ it, & shall one [whole line] at best a [mile] and a half, & this [driven] up by degrees [look] to Fort Jackson & the [Arbby], and then [bring this] gun boats from there into ____ __ & even enter the [Arbby, Artillery?], and then [lighten] gun boats from shore into ______ out & even waters the A [strikeout: will] with [strikeout: shallow] boats of shallow draft but [bay waters] & shell the city out of reach of the forts. They will thus [strikeout] [appoint] & attack the city without [having a line] from one _____[harbor] [forts]: [strikeout] I may be mistaken. Robertson thinks this cannot [pass] [but] Robertson in ____ by Elliots ____. Of course it is a [waste] of time, but with [5] their resources & ______ they can supply every thing. The sickliness of the [season] is nothing to them as they have the scum of society in their army & many who know nothing of [strikeout: the] the dangers as to climate, & besides they [occupy] the only healthy [forts] after [Cobb/Cabs] Island batteries [strikeout] are dismantled, & we are ___ to occupy the most unhealthy location along our lines of defense. If we run our fight with ability & [being] of course we can ____ this [times] & [that] way, but they have nothing to do in that event but to pull [strikeout] back under protection of their waters & gun boats - while [we be] done at any [moment.]
Nothing but a [struck: large] large force now & thorough General can [save] the city from great dissaster, or a decided victory [for us] before Richmond & the repulsion of that [army], & a [movement] on towards Maryland &c. ___ [depot] to them in Virginia would [them] [the post/port]: at Washington into confusion, and ______ _______ a large reinforcement at Charleston would [that be permitted]. It strikes me that having lost most of our ports and cities on the coast, it is of the best [intention] that Charleston should be defensed [necessarily], and I would most respectfully urge that an officer of large experience be immediately sent there. The troops are sufficient at present, if properly [trained]. I wrote ____ on 22d ulto [fully] & beg to refer you to that letter although "confidential". You [inserted: will] then see [some] of our difficulties. You [lived] the years [served] to justify me in writing this ____ & I trust you will pardon me if I have ____ further than I ought.
With great respect I have the honor to be ____ ____ obt servant
Fr Pickens