Summary:
General Henry Wise commanded a Confederate brigade during the summer, 1861, struggle for what is now West Virginia. Staunton served as a base of supply in these actions as evidenced by General William Wing Loring's letter announcing the movement by rail of reinforcements through Staunton.

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Col. GEORGE DEAS, Adjutant-Gen.:

Huntersville, Va.,

July 30, 1861.

COLONEL:

I have just seen a reliable man who tells me that he was in Gen. Wise's camp las Friday, 26th July; that Wise was at Gauey Brigade, on his retreat to Lewisburg, about sixty miles distant. He thinks that Wise intended to fight the enemy at Tompkins' [farm], eight miles from the bridge.

Upon learning this, I sent word to Staunton for the two Georgia regiments and the battery expected at Staunton to be moved by the train to Millsborough, there to remain until further orders.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. W. LORING,
Brig.-Gen., Commanding.

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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 2, Serial No. 2, Pages 1009, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.