Summary:
Confederate General John Imboden reports to Thomas J. Jackson on September, 1862,
operations in western Virginia. Imboden reports capturing bandit Captain Bond,
some of his gang, and other horse thieves and sending them to Staunton.
Brig. Gen. THOMAS J. JACKSON:
CAMP LEE, HARDY COUNTY, W. VA.,
September 27, 1862. (Received October 2, 1862.)
GEN.:
I was much gratified at the receipt of yours of the 23d, by Mr. Neall, as it once more brigs me in direct communication with you. Your wishes as to Mr. Neall shall be fully carried out.
My last letter to you from Cheat Mountain advised you of my almost successful attempt to destroy the Cheat River Bridge, which was frustrated by a Union woman riding 25 miles through the woods to alarm the enemy, and give Gen. Kelley time to throw a force of five times my own in my front at Cheat River Bridge. I also informed you of my co-operation with Gen. Jenkins, enabling him to get in the rear of Kelley, and make his brilliant north west dash without pursuit. I then came back from Randolph, through Pocahontas into Highland, where I was joined by several hundred recruits. I then set out with upward of 400 men to capture Romney. I crossed the Shenandoah Mountain at Brock's Gap, and came down Lost River very secretly, and made a night march on Romney, getting within 5 miles before midnight, when I ascertained the enemy had evacuated the place that evening. Unfortunately, 3 soldiers from Winchester, escorting some ladies under a flag of truce, got to Romney the day before. They were wild young fellows, and talked so confidently that Romney would be taken in a day or two, that the commanding officer took fright, telegraphed Gen. Kelly for permission to fall back to the railroad, got it, and left about twelve hours too soon for me. I occupied the place two days, scouted toward the railroad, drew a party of the enemy to Romney by moving out with my whole command 2 miles, as if in retreat, in the night. I ambushed the road below town, and, as I expected, their cavalry came along. We unhorsed 15 of the rascals, wounding several, captured 2 unhurt, 8 good fatally, several horses that we did not take away. The next day the commanding officer at Spring River sent a flag of truce to get his wounded and dead. As the skirmish occurred just at dark, and near the woods, they carried off their dead, if any were killed. They reported their lieutenant dead.
I have about 900 men; only about 600 are armed. As all my wagons and stores were in Highland, I sent for them and moved up the river last week to this point. I have kept Kelley running up and down the railroad with troops for ten days. He has about 2,500 men in all from New Creek to Green Spring. He can move the whole body by rail, and is at Cumberland one day and New Creek the next. He has his headquarters in a car. I have been able to get direct intelligence from him almost every day by means of citizen spies. My object, until all my men are armed, has been to keep the enemy out of this part of the country. I have thus far been successful. There has not been a raid of any kind since I came here. I have tried to restore confidence among our people.
We have sent off Capt. Bond, the bandit leader of this county, and some four or five of his gang, to Staunton, having been fortunate enough to "bag" them. Most of these desperadoes will be captured, killed or driven off by us. In Pendleton and the eastern aport of Randolph I have restored order in the community; have broken up horse-thieving and plundering by arresting those engaged in it, and sending them to Staunton. One was killed who refused to surrender. He was a deserter from our army, had joined the Yankees, deserted them, and turned here-thief and robber. His name was Mallow, a great scoundrel.
Gen., I will get down my wagons to-day from Highland. I will at once move down east of Romney and attempt the destruction of the bridge over Little Cacapon River early next week. I will send my cavalry to Romney to threaten the road higher up. If you could send a brigade to Romney, we could take New Creek and Cumberland, beyond a doubt, in a few days, and demolish all their works and the railroad. I am not strong enough to do so myself. The Secretary of War has limited me to ten companies. I have six infantry and four mounted companies, numbering in the aggregate over 900 men-first-rate men. I have had to reject two fine companies within a week because of this restriction. One of them has gone to Floyd, the other left to go to Winchester, and try to get in the cavalry there.
I am afraid my agreement last June with Dr. Miller, of Lexington, was unfortunate. I don't know of a single company yet raised by him. He is a stranger to the people of the west, and has not been as successful as he expected. This is to be regretted. If my powers had been sufficiently ample, I could probably have had 2,000 men by this time. I shall have to reject another company in a day or two, now on its way to join me, as I learned last night. A very handsome force, say, 3,000 or 4,000 men, can be raised in these mountain counties, if the Government will give the command to some one well known in the west. With my command as a nucleus, and authority to enlist everybody, conscripts, deserters, and all, three regiments can be raised before winter. If the Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first could be sent here I am perfectly certain their ranks can be filled before December 1-800 or 900 men each-provided they are to serve in the west. I wish the Government could be impressed with proper views in regard to the people and their circumstances out here. These mountains swarm with men, and good men, who will do good service if properly managed.
If possible, I will try and see you one night next week on this very important subject. The new of your glorious achievements has reanimated the whole country here.
Most truly, yours,
J. D. IMBODEN.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 19, Serial No. 28, Pages 630-631, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
