dispersed；　if　not　moved　in　season。
  Meanwhile　I　will　send　the　Dai…Ching　to　St。　Helena；　to　meet　any　want　that　may　arise　in　that　quarter；　while　the　Mingo　and　Pontiac　will　be　ready　to　act　from　Broad　River。
  The　general　route　of　the　army　will　be　northward；　but　the　exact　direction　must　be　decided　more　or　less　by　circumstances　which　it　may　not　be　possible　to　foresee。。。。
  My　cooperation　will　be　confined　to　assistance　in　attacking　Charleston；　or　in　establishing　communication　at　Georgetown；　in　case　the　army　pushes　on　without　attacking　Charleston；　and　time　alone　will　show　which　of　these　will　eventuate。
  The　weather　of　the　winter　first；　and　the　condition　of　the　ground　in　spring；　would　permit　little　advantage　to　be　derived　from　the　presence　of　the　army　at　Richmond　until　the　middle　of　May。　　So　that　General　Sherman　has　no　reason　to　move　in　haste；　but　can　choose　such　objects　as　he　prefers；　and　take　as　much　time　as　their　attainment　may　demand。　　The　Department　will　learn　the　objects　in　view　of　General　Sherman　more　precisely　from　a　letter　addressed　by　him　to　General　Halleck；　which　he　read　to　me　a　few　days　since。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  J。　A。　DAHLGREN；　Rear…Admiral；　commanding　South…Atlantic　Blockading；Squadron。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　POCOTALIGO；　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　January　29；　1885。
  Major…General　J。　G。　FOSTER；　commanding　Department　of　the　South。
  GENERAL：　I　have　just　received　dispatches　from　General　Grant；　stating　that　Schofield's　corps　（the　Twenty…third）；　twenty…one　thousand　strong；　is　ordered　east　from　Tennessee；　and　will　‘be　sent　to　Beaufort；　North　Carolina。　　That　is　well；　I　want　that　force　to　secure　a　point　on　the　railroad　about　Goldsboro'；　and　then　to　build　the　railroad　out　to　that　point。　　If　Goldsboro'　be　too　strong　to　carry　by　a　rapid　movement；　then　a　point　near　the　Neuse；　south　of　Goldsboro'；　will　answer；　but　the　bridge　and　position　about　Kinston；　should　be　held　and　fortified　strong。　　The　movement　should　be　masked　by　the　troops　already　at　Newbern。　　Please　notify　General　Palmer　that　these　troops　are　coming；　and　to　be　prepared　to　receive　them。　Major…General　Schofield　will　command　in　person；　and　is　admirably　adapted　for　the　work。　　If　it　is　possible；　I　want　him　to　secure　Goldsboro'；　with　the　railroad　back　to　Morehead　City　and　Wilmington。　As　soon　as　General　Schofield　reaches　Fort　Macon；　have　him　to　meet　some　one　of　your　staff；　to　explain　in　full　the　details　of　the　situation　of　affairs　with　me；　and　you　can　give　him　the　chief　command　of　all　troops　at　Cape　Fear　and　in　North　Carolina。　　If　he　finds　the　enemy　has　all　turned　south　against　me；　he　need　not　follow；　but　turn　his　attention　against　Raleigh；　if　he　can　secure　Goldsboro'　and　Wilmington；　it　will　be　as　much　as　I　expect　before　I　have　passed　the　Santee。　　Send　him　all　detachments　of　men　that　have　come　to　join　my　army。　　They　can　be　so　organized　and　officered　as　to　be　efficient；　for　they　are　nearly　all　old　soldiers　who　have　been　detached　or　on　furlough。　　Until　I　pass　the　Santee；　you　can　better　use　these　detachments　at　Bull's　Bay；　Georgetown；　etc。
  I　will　instruct　General　McCallum；　of　the　Railroad　Department；　to　take　his　men　up　to　Beaufort；　North　Carolina；　and　employ　them　on　the　road　out。　　I　do　not　know　that　he　can　use　them　on　any　road　here。　　I　did　instruct　him；　while　awaiting　information　from　North　Carolina；　to　have　them　build　a　good　trestle…bridge　across　Port　Royal　ferry；　but　I　now　suppose　the　pontoon…bridge　will　do。　　If　you　move　the　pontoons；　be　sure　to　make　a　good　road　out　to　Garden's　Corners；　and　mark　it　with　sign…boardsobstructing　the　old　road；　so　that；　should　I　send　back　any　detachments；　they　would　not　be　misled。
  I　prefer　that　Hatch's　force　should　not　be　materially　weakened　until　I　am　near　Columbia；　when　you　may　be　governed　by　the　situation　of　affairs　about　Charleston。　　If　you　can　break　the　railroad　between　this　and　Charleston；　then　this　force　could　be　reduced。
  I　am；　with　respect；　etc。；
  W。　T。　　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　POCOTALIGO；　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　January　18；　1865。
  Hon。　EDWIN　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington；　D。　C。
  SIR：　When　you　left　Savannah　a　few　days　ago；　you　forgot　the　map　which　General　Geary　had　prepared　for　you；　showing　the　route　by　which　his　division　entered　the　city　of　Savannah；　being　the　first　troops　to　occupy　that　city。　　I　now　send　it　to　you。
  I　avail　myself　of　the　opportunity　also　to　inclose　you　copies　of　all　my　official　orders　touching　trade　and　intercourse　with　the　people　of　Georgia；　as　well　as　for　the　establishment　of　the　negro　settlements。
  Delegations　of　the　people　of　Georgia　continue　to　come　in；　and　I　am　satisfied　that；　by　judicious　handling　and　by　a　little　respect　shown　to　their　prejudices；　we　can　create　a　schism　in　Jeff。　Davis's　dominions。　　All　that　I　have　conversed　with　realize　the　truth　that　slavery　as　an　institution　is　defunct；　and　the　only　questions　that　remain　are　what　disposition　shall　be　made　of　the　negroes　themselves。　　I　confess　myself　unable　to　offer　a　complete　solution　for　these　questions；　and　prefer　to　leave　it　to　the　slower　operations　of　time。　　We　have　given　the　initiative；　and　can　afford　to　await　the　working　of　the　experiment。
  As　to　trade…matters；　I　also　think　it　is　to　our　interest　to　keep　the　Southern　people　somewhat　dependent　on　the　articles　of　commerce　to　which　they　have　hitherto　been　accustomed。　　General　Grover　is　now　here；　and　will；　I　think；　be　able　to　handle　this　matter　judiciously；　and　may　gradually　relax；　and　invite　cotton　to　come　in　in　large　quantities。　　But　at　first　we　should　manifest　no　undue　anxiety　on　that　score；　for　the　rebels　would　at　once　make　use　of　it　as　a　power　against　us。　　We　should　assume；　a　tone　of　perfect　contempt　for　cotton　and　every　thing　else　in　comparison　with　the　great　object　of　the　warthe　restoration　of　the　Union；　with　all　its　rights　and　power。　　It　the　rebels　burn　cotton　as　a　war　measure；　they　simply　play　into　our　hands　by　taking　away　the　only　product　of　value　they　have　to　exchange　in　foreign　ports　for　war…ships　and　munitions。　　By　such　a　course；　also；　they　alienate　the　feelings　of　a　large　class　of　small　farmers　who　look　to　their　little　parcels　of　cotton　to　exchange　for　food　and　clothing　for　their　families。　　I　hope　the　Government　will　not　manifest　too　much　anxiety　to　obtain　cotton　in　large　quantities；　and　especially　that　the　President　will　not　indorse　the　contracts　for　the　purchase　of　large　quantities　of　cotton。　　Several　contracts；　involving　from　six　to　ten　thousand　bales；　indorsed　by　Mr。　Lincoln；　have　been　shown　me；　but　were　not　in　such　a　form　as　to　amount　to　an　order　to　compel　me　to　facilitate　their　execution。
  As　to　Treasury　agents；　and　agents　to　take　charge　of　confiscated　and　abandoned　property；　whose　salaries　depend　on　their　fees；　I　can　only　say　that；　as　a　general　rule；　they　are　mischievous　and　disturbing　elements　to　a　military　government；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　for　us　to　study　the　law　and　regulations　so　as　to　understand　fully　their　powers　and　duties。　　I　rather　think　the　Quartermaster's　Department　of　the　army　could　better　fulfill　all　their　duties　and　accomplish　all　that　is　aimed　at　by　the　law。　　Yet　on　this　subject　I　will　leave　Generals　Foster　and　Grover　to　do　the　best　they　can。
  I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　POCOTALIGO；　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　January　2；　1865。
  Hon。　EDWIN　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington；　D。　C。
  SIR：　I　have　just　received　from　Lieutenant…General　Grant　a　copy　of　that　part　of　your　telegram　to　him　of　December　26th　relating　to　cotton；　a　copy　of　which　has　been　immediately　furnished　to　General　Easton；　chief…quartermaster；　who　will　be　strictly　governed　by　it。
  I　had　already　been　approached　by　all　the　consuls　and　half　the　people　of　Savannah　on　this　cotton；　question；　and　my　invariable　answer　was　that　all　the　cotton　in　Savannah　was　prize　of　war；　belonged　to　the　United　States；　and　nobody　should　recover　a　bale　of　it　with　my　consent；　that；　as　cotton　had　been　one　of　the　chief　causes　of　this　war；　it　should　help　to　pay　its　expenses；　that　all　cotton　became　tainted　with　treason　from　the　hour　the　first　act　of　hostility　was　committed　against　the　United　States　some　time　in　December；　1860；　and　that　no　bill　of　sale　subsequent　to　that　date　could　convey　title。
  My　orders　were　that　an　officer　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　United　States　Army；　might　furnish　the　holder；　agent；　or　attorney；　a　mere　certificate　of　the　fact　of　seizure；　with　description　of　the　bales'　marks；　etc。；　the　cotton　then　to　be　turned　over　to　the　agent　of　the　Treasury　Department；　to　be　shipped　to　New　York　for　sale。　But；　since　the　receipt　of　your　dispatch；　I　have　ordered　General　Easton　to　make　the　shipment　himself　to　the　quartermaster　at　New　York；　where　you　can　dispose　of　it　at　pleasure。　　I　do　not　think　the　Treasury　Department　ought　to　bother　itself　with　the　prizes　or　captures　of　war。
  Mr。　Barclay；　former　consul　at　New　York；　representing　Mr。　Molyneux；　former　consul　here；　but　absent　a　long　time；　called　on　me　with　。　reference　to　cotton　claimed　by　English　subjects。　　He　seemed　amazed　when　I　told　him　I　should　pay　n