Summary:
On July 11, 1861, Union General George B. McClellan won the battle of Laurel
Mountain, West Virginia, resulting in withdrawal of Confederate forces from the
area. In the aftermath, Confederate Major Michael G. Harman, commanding at
Staunton, received news of the defeat and retreat. In this dispatch from
Staunton, Harman tells Robert E. Lee what he knows, and announces that he has
met with Augusta County militia officers in preparation for calling out the
entire force.
Maj. Gen. ROBERT E. LEE:
STAUNTON, VA.,
July 14, 1861.
DEAR SIR:
I have received the inclosed from W. C. Scott, of the Forty-fourth Regiment Virginia Volunteers. I telegraphed you the same, but send it, for fear it has reached you. Have the offices kept open night and day. I have had all the colonels of the militia of the county summoned to be here at 7 o'clock this morning, and will, according to your orders, have the whole militia of county called out to-day. Every exertion shall made to have all pushed up with promptness and dispatch. I will advise you by telegraph as further information reaches me. I cannot yet tell the extent of the disaster, but fear, from Col. Scott's retrograde movement, that it is serious, and also much fear that Gen. Garnett will at least lose all his wagons and baggage going through Hardy.
Mr. Hughes, a member of the Convention, from the county of Randolph, I think, was sent by Col. Scott to Col. Pegram, and was killed by our own men. Capt. De Lagnel was dangerously wounded, and reported left on the field. Give my orders by telegraph as anything occurs. Please see the Quartermaster-Gen. I wrote to him by to-day's mail, and you will see, from his letter, that I need instructions to purchase horses for the transportation required. I have asked to be furnished with $20,000. My letter will give you particulars. The cars are waiting.
Hastily and respectfully,
M. G. HARMAN,
Maj., Commanding.
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 244, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
