Summary:
Union General John C. Fremont forwards this report of Lieut. Colonel Downey to
Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. It discusses a skirmish at Grass Lick West
Virginia, and the pursuit of Confederates making their way to Staunton,
Virginia.
WHEELING,
Hon. E. M. STANTON.
Skirmish at Grass Lick, W. Va.
APRIL 23, 1862
Gen. Kelley sends this evening the following dispatch from Lieut.-Col. Downey, in command at Romney:
Twenty-five of Firey's and Shaw's cavalry encountered Col. Parsons with some 50 men at Peter Palling's house, on Grass Lick, before day this morning. Two of Firey's men were killed and one of Shaw's. A number of the rebels killed and wounded. I went out with re-enforcements burned the houses the rebels fired from, and scoured the whole country around.
Gen. Milroy also telegraphs that he made a reconnaissance yesterday with one cavalry and six infantry companies to ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy. He overtook rear guard of cavalry 6 miles this side of the railroad, near Buffalo Gap. They retreated rapidly, pursued by our cavalry. Gen. Milroy was informed that the main body had stopped the night previous 6 miles beyond Buffalo Gap; that they had discovered that they were cut off from Staunton by Gen. Banks, and were bearing off to the right, to go down through Bath and Alleghany Counties to James River.
J. C. FREMONT,
Maj.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 12, Serial No. 15, Pages 447, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
