Summary:
Union General Fitz-John Porter writes General Williams on the progress of Confederate General Jeb Stuart's October, 1862, cavalry raid into Pennsylvania. Porter mentions Stuart's taking mail from Mercersburg and rifling warehouses at Chambersburg.

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Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Army of the Potomac:

October 11, 1862

GEN.:

I have received the following, partly official and partly rumor, from Hagerstown, brought by officers just arriving at their camp here:

Gen. Stuart crossed at McCoy's Ferry yesterday morning with about (said to be) 3,000 men and one battery. Arrived at Mercersburg and took mail and postage-stamps from office, giving for the latter receipt and promise to pay. Gen. Stuart is stated to have said that he was ordered over, but never expected to get back?

Confederates had arrived at Chambersburg, and were rifling the warehouses. Railroad communication broken between Hagerstown and Harrisburg.

Gen. Pleasonton had gone from Hagerstown with cavalry and infantry (Hancock's brigade). Gen. Averell must have known yesterday of the crossing of the enemy, and must be on their track by this time?

Smith's division passed up toward Hagerstown to-day.

I have put a query to such as I give as reports. All quiet on my lines. If Gen. Stuart was ordered over, was it to check movement on our side, or cover one on theirs, and would he have stated as above?

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. J. PORTER,
Maj.-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 69, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.