Henry W. Halleck to Edwin M. Stanton, December 21, 1863
Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR:
My Dear Sir: Sending a note to the Secretary of the Navy, as I romised, he called over and*said that the strikes in the ship-yards ad thrown the completion of vessels back so much that he thought
General Gillmore’s proposition entirely proper. He only wishes (and in which I concur) that General Gillmore will courteously confer with and explain to Admiral Dahlgren.* Yours, as ever,
Referred to the General-in-Chief. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
Washington, December 22, 1863. Maj. Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE, Department of the South, Folly Island, S. C.:
GENERAL: I am authorized by the Secretary of War to say that you are at liberty to undertake such operations in your department as you may deem best, making secure the positions you already hold in front of Charleston. It will be proper in this matter that you courteously confer with Admiral Deitecn, each, however, being at liberty to carry out his own plans.
In Dae to re-enforcements, none can possibly be sent to you at present.
The Secretary of War has drawn up some regulations in regard to colored troops in your department, authorizing you to consolidate regiments, to order boards for the examination of officers and to send their names here for commission, and also to organize brigades, &c., of such troops.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
General-in-Chief.
xxi here omitted refers to affairs in Missouri, and appears in Series I, Vol,
Wak DEPARTMENT,
Ordered, that Major-General Gillmore, commanding the Department of the South, be, and is hereby, authorized— recruited within his department, the said enlistments to be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the service and of the War
Department relating to the organization of colored troops and such
further orders as may from time to time be given by the Department.