Summary:
Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson reports to Robert E. Lee on preparations to defend Harper's Ferry in May, 1861. He discusses that Confederate forces in the town that included an infantry company from Augusta County. He estimates that 4,000 Federal troops oppose him in the vicinity of Chambersburg.

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DIVISION HEADQUARTERS,

Maj.-Gen. LEE, Commander Virginia Forces:

Harper's Ferry,

May 9, 1861.

GENERAL:

If this place is attacked, we may expect the enemy to make a free use of rifled cannon, in addition to field artillery, and possibly larger caliber.

The object of this letter is to state that Col. Thomas, adjutant-general of Maryland, has placed at my disposal the ordnance from the Virginia navy-yard en route for Baltimore via this place, and to request that you will, should it meet with your approbation, send a competent ordnance officer, with sufficient force and means, to mount such pieces as I may designate.

I am, general, your most obedient servant,

T. J. JACKSON,
Col. Virginia Volunteers, Commanding Division.

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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 823-824, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.