Summary:
General Robert E. Lee writes to H. M. Bell, quartermaster at Staunton, concerning October, 1862, production of clothing and leather goods in Staunton, VA, for the army.

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Maj. H. M. BELL, Acting Quartermaster. Staunton, Va.:

October 21, 1862.

MAJ.:

Your letter of the 19th, inclosing copy of note from Maj. F. A. Briscoe, has been received. Maj. Briscoe misunderstood the orders of Col. Corley. They referred only to such articles as were not required at Staunton. All the cloth that you can manufacture into clothing at Staunton for the army I desire you shall retain, and that you will use every effort to obtain cloth in Northern and Northwestern Virginia for that purpose. I have directed Col. Imboden, in his operations in Hardy and Hampshire Counties, to collect all the leather that can be obtained in those counties and forward it toward Staunton. The difficulty with him is to obtain transportation, but I hope he will be able to transport it beyond the reach of the enemy, so that you may be able to secure it. Col. Corley has corrected the misapprehension of Maj. Briscoe in reference to the forwarding of stores, &c., from Staunton to Richmond.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,
Gen.

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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 19, Serial No. 28, Pages 674, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.