G. T. Beauregard.

Richmond, November 18, 1884.

To the People of Georgia: 

You have now the best opportunity ever yet presented to destroy the enemy.  Put every thing at the disposal of our generals; remove all provisions from the path of the, invader, and put all obstructions in his path.

Every citizen with his gun, and every negro with his spade and axe, can do the work of a soldier.  You can destroy the enemy by retarding his march.

Georgians, be firm!  Act promptly, and fear not!

B. H. Hill, Senator.

I most cordially approve the above. 
James A. Seddon, Secretary of War.

Richmond, November 19,1864.

To the People of Georgia: 

We have had a special conference with President Davis and the Secretary of War, and are able to assure you that they have done and are still doing all that can be done to meet the emergency that presses upon you.  Let every man fly to arms!  Remove your negroes, horses, cattle, and provisions from Sherman’s army, and burn what you cannot carry.  Burn all bridges, and block up the roads in his route.  Assail the invader in front, flank, and rear, by night and by day.  Let him have no rest.

Julian Hartridge
mark Blandford,
J. H. Echols
GEO. N. Lester
John T. Shuemaker
JAS. M. Smith,

Members of Congress.

Of course, we were rather amused than alarmed at these threats, and made light of the feeble opposition offered to our progress.  Some of the officers (in the spirit of mischief) gathered together in the vacant hall of Representatives, elected a Speaker, and constituted themselves the Legislature of the State of Georgia!  A proposition was made to repeal the ordinance of secession, which was well debated, and resulted in its repeal by a fair vote!  I was not present at these frolics, but heard of them at the time, and enjoyed the joke.

Meantime orders were made for the total destruction of the arsenal and its contents, and of such public buildings as could be easily converted to hostile uses.  But little or no damage was done to private property, and General Slocum, with my approval, spared several mills, and many thousands of bales of cotton, taking what he knew to be worthless bonds, that the cotton should not be used for the Confederacy.  Meantime the right wing continued its movement along the railroad toward Savannah, tearing up the track and destroying its iron.  At the Oconee was met a feeble resistance from Harry Wayne’s troops, but soon the pontoon-bridge was laid, and that wing crossed over.  Gilpatrick’s cavalry was brought into Milledgeville, and crossed the Oconee by the bridge near the town; and on the 23d I made the general orders for the next stage of the march as far as Millen.  These were, substantially, for the right wing to follow the Savannah Railroad, by roads on its south; the left wing was to move to Sandersville, by Davisboro’ and Louisville, while the cavalry was ordered by a circuit to the north, and to march rapidly for Millen, to rescue our prisoners of war confined there.  The distance was about a hundred miles.