Summary:
Union General John Pope reports to Chief of Staff Henry Halleck on his August,
1862, instructions to General Jacob Cox commanding forces in the Kanawha Valley.
Pope ordered Cox to move on Staunton, VA.
Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,
Cmdg. U. S. Army:
Near Sperryville, Va.,
August 5, 1862
Some four weeks since I directed Gen. Cox, who has about 11,000 men in Kanawha Valley, to intrench 2,400 at or near the mouth of Gauley, so as to cover the valley of Kanawha below that point, and to hold himself in readiness with the remainder of his force, about 8,000 strong, to move forward in the direction of Staunton. A large part of the force which then confronted him has joined Jackson since, under the command of Loring.
I propose, with your consent, to direct Cox to move forward at once to Covington or Jackson's River (on maps James River really), and thence, by the way of Warm Springs and Augusta Springs to Harrisonburg, at which place he can readily join this command. The road is good, and he reports that he will be able to make the march to Harrisonburg within ten days. Though somewhat hazardous, I should prefer that instead of the route I have mentioned. He should pursue the turnpike from Covington to Lexington and thence to Staunton, for its effect in threatening Lynchburg and the railroad leading west from Richmond. Will you please advise me at once what you think of the movement?
JNO. POPE,
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. 18, Pages 534-535, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
