Summary:
The Shenandoah Valley proved both important and troublesome to Union efforts
throughout most of the war. In this letter, Michael Graham sends strategic
suggestions to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton for May, 1863, operations in
the Valley. Graham discusses sending out cavalry scouting forces to many points
in the Valley, including Staunton where they can "break up the post." Also of
interest is Graham's assessment of the agricultural importance of the Valley,
his suggestions for putting confiscated slaves to work, and for making Valley
residents take loyalty oaths. Graham also advises treating citizens well to win
back their allegiance, and he suggests enacting policies designed to foster
class resentment among Valley residents.
Hon. E. M. STANTON.
WINCHESTER, VA.,
May 26, 1863.
SIR:
Allow me to present you with my views of the state of affairs in the Valley of Virginia.
This Valley cannot be held unless Gen. Milroy is re-enforced by 20,000 men. He ought to have 15,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. With that force he could advance up the Valley to New Market, where he should make his headquarters. From New Market he could throw part of his force into Page Valley, and occupy Luray.
The Valley at New Market from mountain to mountain is a narrow passage, and easily guarded against surprise. Luray, the county seat of Page County, is a point which ought by all means to be held, because the Valley is narrow and easily defended.
By holding New Market, you hold Brock's Gap, the passage though the mountains to Moorefield. By holding Luray, you hold the passage through Thornton's Gap. If attacked at New Market by the rebels, you can easily fall back by a good road to Luray. If forced to leave Luray, you could retreat down to Front Royal, and from Front Royal to Berryville, and from Berryville to Harper's Ferry, or else you could retreat from Luray to Sperryville, from Sperryville to Little Washington, from Washington to Sandy Hook, from Sandy Hook to Piedmont, from Piedmont to Thoroughfare Gap, from Thoroghfare Gap to Blackburn's Ford, from Blackburn's Ford to Fairfax Court-House, or else you could retreat from Luray to Sperryville, from Sperryville to Warrenton Springs, from Warrenton follow the Warrenton and Alexandria Railroad.
By giving Gen. Milroy 20,000 men, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, he will hold the Valley against the enemy, protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and deprive the rebels of the coming crop. Your cavalry force will need no hay, they can get pasturage and hay in the Valley. All they will need will be oats and corn, and that can easily be hauled from Martinsburg. By having this force stationed at New Market and Luray, under Gen. Milroy, his cavalry force can scour the Valley from New Market to Staunton, break up the post at that place, and penetrate as far as Lexington, in Rockbridge County. The same cavalry will prevent the rebs from getting their supplies from Greenbrier, Monroe, Highland, and Bath Counties. In one week your cavalry can scout the country from New Market to Staunton and Lexington, and return the same week. The next week they could pass into Page County, through Massanutten Mountain to Luray. From Luray they can scout the country to Port Republic; from Port Republic they can proceed to Charlottesville; from Charlottesville they could retreat to Madison Court-House; from Madison to Luray.
Five full regiments of cavalry should have seven regiments of horses. One of the extra regiments should be stationed at New Market and one at Luray, so that when a regiment came in with jaded horses, they could leave them to rest and take fresh ones.
Take all the negroes in the Valley from the loyal as well as disloyal, organize them into companies to tend horses, do duty, or act as guides. Bring farming to a stop. You will find enough wheat in the Valley to bread Milroy's army. Put the negroes at work making hay, preparing roads, and at other laborious occupations. What cannot be employed in this manner, organize into regiments and let them take the field. Encourage all citizens to take the oath of allegiance and go North till the war is over. Let them hunt employment in the workshops and manufactories of the North. Let proclamations be issued assuring the rebel soldiers that the Government will protect them, and will not press them into our service if they desert and come to us, but that they can get profitable employment in the North till the return of peace. Also proclaim to all foreign naturalized citizens who are in arms against the United States that they can have twenty days to return to their allegiance to the Union, with full pardon. Give them to understand that they are not only guilty of treason, but also of perjury, and that, if they do not return under twenty days, they will be hung, shot, or banished, if afterward captured.
Increase the ill-feeling between the rich and poor in your occupation of all towns in the Valley; inquire into the situation and wants of the people; impress the poor with the idea that the rich are the cause of all their miseries, and divide the wealth of the rich with the poor. Why not send three or four brigades of cavalry from Hooker to Milroy? They could proceed from Stafford Court-House to Rappahannock Station, from there to Fayetteville, from there to Jefferson, from there to Battle Mountain, from there to Sperryville, from Sperryville to Little Washington, from there down along the foot of blue Ridge to Chester Gap, from there to Piedmont, from there to Salem, from there to White Plains, from there to Rectortown, from there to Middleburg, from there to Upperville, from there to Ashby's Gap, from there to Berry's Ferry, from there to Berryville, or they could return from Middleburg to Centreville or Fairfax Court-House. If you make a circuit according to this plan, you will catch Mosby and his guerrilla bands. My opinion is that Gen. Milroy will be attacked in less than ten days unless he is re-enforced. He will be attacked by Jones' cavalry, numbering 5,000. They will come via Moorefield, Wardensville, and Cacapon Springs, and push themselves between Winchester and Martinsburg. Simultaneously they will push forward an infantry force from Staunton and New Market down the Valley pike, in front of Winchester. To connect with these, if Hooker's army lies still, Stuart's cavalry will steal a march from Orange Court-House or Culpeper. They will go to Warrenton, from there to Orleans or Salem, from Salem to Springfield or Markham; at these latter points they will be joined by all the guerrilla bands. They will push on between Berryville and Winchester, and connect with Jones, and thus fall upon Milroy whichever road he might retreat on. This information I have gained from different rebels.
Gen. Milroy is a fighting man, and will render a good account of himself and his army to the American people if he is supplied with this force and the posts above mentioned are occupied-Luray and New Market. It would be securing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, also cutting the rebels off from Western Virginia.
Why not collect your forces at Martinsburg and Harper's Ferry, and throw them up to Gen. Milroy at New Market and Luray? Likewise gather up your forces at New Creek and Romney. Station them at Moorefield or Franklin, or advance them to Harrisonburg. By so doing you render all West Virginia safe. Cut the rebels off from their supplies and hiding-places. Let me again urge it upon you-prevent the rebels from having the benefit of the coming crop.
Send on all your broken-down horses that you have at Washington, Alexandria, or in Hooker's army, and let them be fed and recruited up in the splendid pasture lands of the rebel farms in the Valley, which are all going to waste. Send agents along, that they may scour the country and gather up all arms and saddles belonging to the United States or so-called Confederate States. Be in earnest, and give them no quarter, for they are determined to break up an destroy the Government if they can. Their whole dependence now is on the expected division in the North-that the Democrats will resist the conscription, and thus assist the South.
Excuse my boldness in thus addressing you. As to who and what I am, I refer you to Maj.-Gen. Milroy or to Maj.-Gen. Banks or any of his staff.
You most obedient servant,
MICHAEL GRAHAM,
Mount Jackson, Shenandoah County, Va.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 25, Serial No. 40, Pages 525-527, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
