Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878 to William Joseph Hardee
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05744 Author/Creator: Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878 Place Written: New Madrid, Missouri Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 August 1861 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 33 x 20 cm. Order a Copy
Confederate Brigadier General Pillow informs General Hardee that a courier he formerly sent had been captured and taken as a prisoner, thus previous messages intended for Hardee and General McCulloch (possibly Ben McCulloch) had not been transmitted. Writes "It is essential that our forces be united before we advance far into the Interior- At Ironton there is a force, as I am informed of about 3000 men & they are fortifying their position in that neighborhood probably on Cedar Creek - There is also a force of 4 or 5 thousand men at Cape Giradeau in my rout and which I must dislodge before we can form a junction - This force of Cape Giradeau will be strengthened by the forces now at Birds Point about 6 thousand..." Expects to unite with General Thompson (possibly M. Jeff Thompson, Brigadier General in the Missouri state guard) at Benton, Missouri. Requests that Hardee unite with them at Benton, and continuously stresses the importance of unification. Discusses further troop movements and locations. Reports that Generals Thompson and Jackson and Thomas C. Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, support him in his attempt to unify Confederate forces at Benton.
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