Summary:
Prior to General Thomas J. Jackson's May, 1862, offensive in the Shenandoah
Valley, Federal troops in the area enjoyed quite times. In this April letter,
Union General Nathaniel P. Banks reports to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton on
the progress of operations in the Valley. He remarks on the absence of
opposition, and speculates that forces under Fremont should be sufficient to
take and hold Staunton.
Hon. E.M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
HARRISONBURG,
April 28, 1862.
If Jackson retreats from his present position there is no reason for our remaining longer in this valley. If he does not, we can compel his retreat or destroy him. Then a small force, two or three regiments, falling back to Strasburg, which has been fortified for this purpose, will safely hold all that is important to the Government in this valley. Gen. Fremont's forces will in like manner cover Staunton. If we leave a force of 4,000 or 5,000 in the upper valley it will invite attack, as at Winchester, and be insufficient for defense. If no force is in the valley except at Strasburg the enemy will not return. The whole of my command can then move from New Market to Madison by the mountain road, which is the best turnpike in Virginia, at three days' notice, from which we can occupy Culpeper Court-House, Orange Court-House, or Gordonsville, joined by Gen. Abercrombie. The enemy will then be expelled from the whole of this region. With certainty this is the safest and most effective operation, in our view, in which we can be engaged. Our supplies can be drawn as now via Strasburg, or from Front Royal via Manassas road on good pikes, or by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Madison will be impregnable in our hands, and in co-operation with Fremont we can possess Gordonsville any day the President may wish. This is a safe and long-considered movement and is possible. Flour, beef, and forage are plenty in the country about Madison. I submit these views with great deference, and pray permission to put them in execution as early as the Department may desire. There are not more than 15,000 rebels on the north of the Virginia Central Railroad.
N.P. BANKS,
Maj.-Gen., Commanding.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 12, Serial No. 18, Pages 112, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
