| Petersburg |
| July 23, 1864 |
| |
| His Excellency Jefferson Davis |
|
|
| Mr. President,
|
| I have had the honor to
receive your letter of yesterday relative to our supply of corn. If
the news of the glorious victory at Atlanta, reported this morning, prove true, it will again open to us
Alabama
and
East Mississippi, and remove a part of the great weight pressing upon us. But as far
as I am informed there is still a large supply of corn in East
Georgia, and with what could be collected in South and North Carolina
there would be enough to support us till the new crop is available.
That which is now in Richmond
should be reserved if possible, and every effort made to increase
the supply. The destruction of the railroad bridges beyond
Greensborough is a serious evil. I understand it was done by
incendiaries, which makes it more lamentable. Those bridges will
therefore have to be guarded by the reserves, like those exposed to
the enemy. The trains arrived last night from Weldon {on
the Petersburg RR}, but only
brought sufficient corn for the cavalry. That was some relief, but
obliges us still to diminish our reserve. |
| With great respect, your obedient
servant, |
| R. E. Lee |
|