Summary:
Union General August Moor reports on a February, 1863, expedition to Pocahontas
County to capture supplies and Confederate recruiting parties. He mentions a
plan by Confederate General John Imboden to invade Union counties with regiments
from Staunton, VA.
Buckhannon, Va.,
February 17, 1863.
SIR:
I have the honor to report that on the 10th instant I started an expedition from Beverly, consisting of 60 cavalry and 75 infantry, commanded by Capt. Chatham T. Ewing, Second Regiments Virginia Volunteer Infantry, to capture rebel recruiting parties and stores in Pocahontas Country.
Capt. Ewing was instructed to proceed with the mounted men that night to the summit of Cheat Mountain, the infantry to go as far as Huttonsville; that mounted men to proceed to Greenback the next day, and the infantry to follow as a reserve to Greenbier River, and there to await the return of the mounted men.
Capt. Ewing, minding instructions, succeeded in surprising everything. He secured 13 prisoners from the Thirty-first and Third Virginia (rebel) regiments, 152 head of cattle, 15 horses and mules, and a large number of arms, which he had to destroy for want of transportation, without any loss or accident on our side.
Capt. Ewing deserves praise for his perseverance. He put a damper on the rebel rejoicing over the disgraceful conduct of Maj. Henry C. Flesher.
I also received reliable information that, as soon as the condition of the roads permit, two more regiments from Staunton will join Imboden, to invade loyal counties of West Virginia, and take all the horses out, after driving in our outposts; therefore I ought to have more cavalry and one battery in the brigade, in time to be ready to meet any force at any place along my front. The uncertainty as to what forces really belong to my command is a great embarrassment to me. I hope soon to be relieved of it.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. MOOR,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 25, Serial No. 39, Pages 11-12, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
