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 Duke University Libraries 
 
 Message of the 
 Conf Pam #448 
 
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 House of Representatives, February 22ud, 1865. — Referred to 
 Committee on Military Affairs. 
 
 [By The Chair.] 
 
 MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 Richmond, Va., Feb. 20, 1865. 
 
 To the House of Bepresfntatives : 
 
 In response to your resolution of the 6th instant, I herewith 
 transmit a communication from the Secretary of War, which con- 
 veys all the information in my possession relative to the non-de- 
 struction of the cotton in the city ot Savannah, before its evacuation 
 by our military forces. 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
 COMMUNICATION FROM SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 Confederate States op America, ^ 
 
 War Department, ^ 
 
 Richmond, Va., Feb. 18th, 1865. ) 
 
 To the President of the Confederate States : 
 
 Sir : — I have received the following resolution of the House of 
 Representatives of the 6th instant, referred by your Excellency 
 to this Department : 
 
 " ResoLvtid, That if not incompatible with the public interest, 
 tiie President be respectfully requested to inform this House how it 
 happened that the large amount of cotton was captured by the 
 enemy at Savannah, in the face of the law of the Confederate States, 
 passed as early as the 17th March, 1862, directing the military au- 
 thorities to destroy cotton, or other property of any kind whatever, 
 which may aid the enemy in the prosecution of the war, when ne- 
 cessary, to prevent the same, or any part thereof, from falling into 
 the hands of the enemy," 
 
 In response, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of a 
 telegram received by the Adjutant C:}-eneral from Lieut. G3nl. Har- 
 
2 
 
 dee, in reply to a call made upon him for report why the cotton in 
 Savannah was not destroyed before the evacuation of the city. This 
 dispatch contains all the information on the subject in the posses- 
 sion of tiiis Department. 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obdt. servt., 
 
 JOHN C. BRECKENRIDGE, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 Received at Richmond, Virginia, Feb'y 7th, 1865 : 
 
 By Telegraph from Charleston, Feb'y 6th, 1865. 
 
 Gen. S. Cooper, A. & I. General: 
 
 Your dispatch of the 5th, inquiring why the cotton in Savannah 
 was not destroyed before evacuation of the city, is received The 
 cotton was distributed throughout the city in cellars, garrets, and 
 warehouses, where it could not have been burned without destroy- 
 ing the city. It had not been sent off by railroad previous to the 
 cutting of road, because railroad transportation was monopolized 
 for removal of Ordnance, Commissary, and other important Gov- 
 ernment stores. From the cutting of the roads to eva uaiion of the 
 city — twelve days — every man was required to wotk on the lines, 
 and every wagon, dray, and cart that could be impressed, was need- 
 ed to keep the troops in a line (twelve miles long) supplied with 
 Ordnance and Commissary stores. Not a man nor a woman could 
 have been spared to collect the cotton in a place where it could have 
 been burned. 
 
 (Signed,) W. J. HARDEE, 
 
 Lt. General. 
 
 Official copy. 
 
 H. L. Clay, A. A. Gen. 
 
 A. & I. G. 0., Feb'y 14, 1865. 
 
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