Summary:
Colonel J. M. Heck and Majors Michael G. Harman and R. E. Cowan report from
Staunton on June, 1861, action in West Virginia. The Confederate officers
request that arms be sent to Staunton for an expedition to meet George B.
McClellan's Federals.
Governor LETCHER or Gen. R. E. LEE.
STAUNTON, VA.,
June 6, 1861.
Messrs. Spalding and Cook have just reached here, leaving Philippi on Monday morning. The Federal troops surprised Col. Porterfield's command, opening fire upon the town with artillery, and drove us out, with a reported loss of about six killed and a considerable quantity of arms, baggage, and provisions. Much heavier loss to the enemy in men. McClellan led the Federal forces. Our forces retreated to Beverly.
The expedition under Col. Heck leaves here on Friday for the Northwest. We urge you will send by express train two thousand men, with arms and ammunition, to drive the vandals out, or else give up our border. These gentlemen were in the engagement; say Col. Porterfield had but little ammunition of any kind. Send an officer of experience to command our forces, or a battery and five thousand arms, if possible.
M. G. HARMAN, Maj.
J. M. HECK, Col.
R. E. COWAN, Maj.
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 68-69, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
