Summary:
In this April, 1862, letter, Union officer B. R. Durfee informs Adjutant-General Don Piatt of actions in Virginia. Durfee speculates that Confederate forces retreated toward Staunton, and also discusses an incident on the Wardensville Road, probably involving guerrillas.

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HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,

DONN PIATT, Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Cumberland, Md.:

At Moorefield, Va.,

April 5, 1862.

DEAR SIR:

I am in receipt of intelligence partially reliable that the enemy have evacuated Alleghany Summit, and are falling back on Staunton, with the intention of crossing east of the Blue Ridge.

I yesterday sent out 40 cavalrymen and 20 mounted skirmishers, with Enfield rifles, to look after the neighborhood of the affair of the day previous on the Wardensville road. They returned to camp last evening, having found the murderous wretches; failing to kill or take any of them prisoners; severely wounding two of them; found some ammunition, and brought in one suspected person, from whom we hope to get full knowledge of the neighborhood.

I shall send a squad of cavalry to Romney to-day and open communication with the forces in that direction.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

B. R. DURFEE,
Lieut.-Col., Commanding Forces at Moorefield, Va.

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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 48, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.