Joseph T. Derry , A. M. , Author of School History of the United States; Story of the Confederate War, etc., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 6, Georgia
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[11] a reinforcement to my command. I had no previous knowledge of it whatever.

On January 23d, Governor Brown, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Hon. Henry R. Jackson, who had experienced military life as a colonel of a Georgia regiment in Mexico, and Col. William Phillips, visited Captain Elzey and made a verbal request that he withdraw his command from the State. Upon that officer's refusal, Col. Alfred Cumming, commanding the Augusta battalion of militia, was ordered to put his force in readiness for action to support the governor's demand.

An official report succinctly describing an event of great importance at that period of the State's history, was made by Captain Elzey to Col. Samuel Cooper, adjutant-general of the United States army, but soon to be the adjutant-general of the Confederacy:

Sir: In compliance with your letter of this date, I have the honor to submit the following complete report of the surrender of the United States arsenal at Augusta, Ga.:

On the morning of the 23d of January I received from the governor of Georgia, then in Augusta, backed by a superior force of State troops numbering some 600 or 700, a verbal demand of the arsenal, which I refused. Shortly after came through his aide-de-camp a written demand in the following terms, the substance of which was telegraphed by me to the war department, to wit: Sir: I am instructed by his excellency Governor Brown to say to you that, Georgia having seceded from the United States of America and resumed exclusive sovereignty over her soil, it has become his duty to require you to withdraw the troops under your command, at the earliest practicable moment, from the limits of the State. He proposes to take possession of the arsenal, and to receipt for all public property under your charge, which will be accounted for on adjustment between the State of Georgia and the United States of America. He begs to refer you to the fact that the retention of your troops upon the soil of Georgia after remonstrance, is under the laws of nations an act of hostility, and he claims that the State is not only at peace but anxious to cultivate the most amicable relations with the United States government. I am further instructed to say that an answer will be expected by to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Henry R. Jackson, Aide-de-Camp, etc.