Letter

Quincy A. Gillmore to Rear-Admiral JoHN A. DAHLGREN, August 26, 1863

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,

Rear-Admiral JoHN A. DAHLGREN, Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron :

My Dear Sir: I shall be able, I think, to light up the waters between Fort Sumter and Cumming’s Point, so that no small boats can approach the latter without being seen by your picket boats. My plan is to locate the lights at the left of my second parallel, and throw a cone of rays subtending an angle of 15° or 20°, the right or easterly element of which will pass through Cumming’s Point and include Fort Sumter. Will this interfere with your plan of operations for to-night ? If so, please inform me by the bearer, Lieutenant Bragg, of my staff.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Q. A. GILLMORE,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
AUGUST 26, 1863.
General GILLMORE,
Commanding Department of the South:
My Dear Sir: To-night I shall need all the darkness I can get.
If you light up you will ruin me.
What I did want was the active fire of your batteries this afternoon on Sumter.
Editor's Notes
From: Operations on the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Middle and East Florida, Pt. 1. Location: Morris Island, S. C.. Summary: Brigadier General Gillmore proposes illuminating waters near Fort Sumter to detect enemy boats, but Rear-Admiral Dahlgren requests darkness to support his night operations instead.
Sources
The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 28, Part 1 View original source ↗