Benjamin Huger (November 22, 1805 – December 7, 1877) was a regular officer in the United States Army, who served with distinction as chief of ordnance in the Mexican-American War. In the American Civil War, as a Confederate general, he surrendered Roanoke Island and then the rest of the Norfolk, Virginia shipyards, attracting criticism for allowing valuable equipment to be captured. At Seven Pines, he was blamed unjustly by General James Longstreet for impeding the Confederate attack, but after his lackluster performance in the Seven Days Battles, he was transferred to administrative duties.
Antebellum
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Service Record
| December 26, 1860 - April 14, 1861: Operations in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina |
Dispatches
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At the outbreak of the war, Benjamin Huger was a Brevet Colonel in the United States Army
These dispatches were compiled with primary source materials from The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Chapter 1)
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CONTENTS
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(US Capt) Henry Craig
- At the outbreak of the war, Henry Craig was a Colonel of Ordnance in the United States Army
| To Huger:
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From Huger:
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| January 9, 1861 - Captain John Foster to Colonel Joseph Totten
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Union Correspondence, etc.
FORT SUMTER, S.C., January 9, 1861.
General TOTTEN;
MY DEAR SIR: I have only a moment to write by Lieutenant Meade [?], who comes with dispatches from Major Anderson. I wish to assure you, however, that the officers of your corps are doing everything in their power to make this work impregnable, even with the present small garrison of seventy men. We even mount all the guns, as we can do it much more rapidly than the garrison. We have twenty-nine guns on the first tier and eleven on the barbette tier. Four 8-inch columbiads are ready to mount to-morrow. I shall place the 10-inch on the parade as mortars.
The firing upon the Star of the West this morning by the batteries on Morris Island opened the war, but Major Anderson hopes that the delay of sending to Washington may possibly prevent civil war. The hope, although a small one, may be the thread that prevents the sundering of the Union. We are none the less determined to defend ourselves to the last extremity. I am in want of funds,and would respectfully urge that as soon as possible $15,000 may be placed to my credit in New York. In haste.
Very respectfully,
J.G. FOSTER,
Captain, Engineers.
P.S. - I beg to refer you to Lieutenant Meade [?] for particulars.
J.G.F.
[Memorandum.]
Received January 12 by Lieutenant Talbot, U.S. Army.
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Post-War Career
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Family
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Notes
Sources
