Summary:
Major Michael G. Harman, commanding at Staunton, writes to Assistant Adjutant George Deas in the wake of July, 1861, Confederate defeats in West Virginia. Harman reports on the state of Staunton's telegraph, and on his plans to open a pony express from Staunton to Monterey and Winchester. He also asks that any ammunition for the front be sent to Staunton.

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Col. GEORGE DEAS, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.:

Staunton, Va.,

July 16, 1861.

DEAR SIR:

Inclosed is a communication sent you by telegraph, after waiting hours for the office to open. It is most important that the telegraph offices should be open night and day, and that we should have a through connection between Richmond and Staunton, instead of having a relay at Gordonsville, and thereby creating great delay. The instrument at this office is nearly worn-out, as I months ago informed the superintended of the telegraph line at Richmond in person. See that these matters are corrected.

Yours, very respectfully,

M. G. HARMAN,
Maj., 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 247, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.