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Private and Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler (4); During the Period of the Civil War Privately Issued
Private and Official Correspondence of Gen Benjamin F Butler During the Period of the Civil War Privately Issued - 4 Author:Benjamin Franklin Butler Volume: 4 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1917 Original Publisher: The Plimpton Press Subjects: United States History / General History / United States / General History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877) Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustration... more »s and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: From General Butler Hd. Qr!. in the Field, June 2nd, 1864 Rear Admiral S. P. Lee, Comd'g N. A. B. S. Admiral: Your communication, dated June 2nd, in regard to the obstructions is received. The five (5) vessels sent up were procured by my order for the purpose of being used as obstructions to the river if in the judgment of the naval commander they would add to the security of his fleet. I have no difficulty as to the point at which we desire to secure the river. It is the right of my line near Curtis' house at the ravine, but whether the river shall be secured by obstructions or by the vessels, or a disposition of your obstructions, or by the vessels of your Navy, neither myself or my engineers have any right to feel ourselves confident to give an opinion. The vessels are wholly at your service, but upon your judgment and not mine must rest their use. In accordance with your request, as I informed your officer, I will visit you this afternoon and designate the spot we desire to be held, but whether by means of obstructions or by your ships or by both combined must be solely for you to determine. While I know you would not undertake to give directions to my engineers as to the situation of our earthworks on land, so we ought not to presume to advise you as to your means of defending the water. I have not consulted the War Department upon the question whether I should procure these obstructions. I suppose that was fairl...« less