Summary:
In May, 1861, Staunton, Virginia served as a rendezvous point for new recruits to the Confederate Army. In this letter, Robert E. Lee authorizes Colonel John Echols to raise volunteer regiments from Valley counties, including Augusta. Lee orders Echols to gather the men at Staunton.

---

HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA FORCES,

Lieut. Col. JOHN ECHOLS, Union, Monroe County, Va.:

Richmond, Va.,

May 6, 1861.

COLONEL:

Under the authority of the governor of Virginia, by his proclamation of the 3d instant, you are hereby authorized to call out and muster into the service of the State volunteer companies from the counties of Pendleton, Augusta, Pocahontas, Monroe, Highland, Bath, Rockbridge, Greenbrier, and Alleghany, to rendezvous at Staunton, in Augusta County. The whole number of companies thus called into service will not exceed two regiments of infantry and riflemen. You will organize them into regiments, associating together, as far as possible, troops from the same region. Place them under such officers as are available, until their proper field officers can be appointed by the governor. It is hoped that you will be able rapidly to organize the whole force, and you are requested to report as soon as possible the number of companies mustered into the service of the State, their arms, condition, &c.

I am, respectfully, &c.,

R. E. LEE,
Maj.-Gen., 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 808, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.