Henry W. Benham to Samuel Francis DuPont, April 5, 1862

Flag-Officer S. F. DuPont,

Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Port Royal Harbor, S. C.:

CoMMODORE: I trust your dispatches for Warsaw have arrived in time to go by my courier, whom I have sent to recall, if possible, if not, I will have them at Tybee this afternoon, and if my engineers can contrive a means of obstructing Wilmington River, I will have it done, though I much fear now the force of the enemy, believed to have been inereased lately in that vicinity, may render this more difficult than at a previous day, if not impossible even.

The reports from General Viele from Daufuskie last night lead us to fear that the rebels are concentrating troops near Wilmington Island, probably for an effort to relieve or re-enforce the garrison of Fort Pulaski, as it appears impossible for a land force to act efficiently in those marshes, and we have scarcely any means for effective action by water. General Hunter and myself were last evening most earnest in wishing that you had the means of increasing your own power to an important extent just now on the Wilmington Narrows and on the Tybee River.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,