Summary:
Union General Robert Milroy writes Robert Schenck in February, 1863. He proposes
moving through Staunton to attempt to capture and destroy Confederate General
John Imboden's raiders. Milroy also discusses various aspects of irregular
warfare in the Valley, and his desire to deal harshly with guerrillas.
Maj.-Gen. SCHENCK:
Winchester, Va.,
February 10, 1863.
DEAR SIR:
I omitted to report to you that I did not go to Washington City, for the reason that I received word from the recorder of the McDowell court that the evidence in the case was closed before I received your order, which was detained by Gen. Kelley a day or two.
The Thirteenth Pennsylvania reported to me for duty a few days ago, and the two companies of the First New York Cavalry, with the two sections of artillery, that were at Romney, reported here two days ago.
The rebel cavalry still annoy us some. A squad of 15, captured the stage 7 miles from this place, on the road to Martinsburg, on Friday night last, soon after dark. Capt. Charles W. Dietrich, assistant adjutant-general, and Lieut. William Burchard, aide-de-camp of Gen. Cluseret, 2 soldiers, and 3 citizen, including 2 females, were in the stage. Lieut. Burchard fortunately escaped soon after his capture; came on, and let me know what had happened, and I made such a disposition of my cavalry as to intercept them; killed 1, wounded 1, and captured 2, and rescued all our prisoners, horses, plunder, &c.
I learned yesterday by a deserter from Imboden's camp that he has been to Richmond recently, and been commissioned brigadier-general, and that he had got the old Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Virginia Regiment, raised in Western Virginia (and which I met several times there), and has been assigned command of the country east of the Shenandoah Mountains, and its preparing for a campaign into West Virginia. I respectfully ask to be permitted to interfere with this arrangement. If Gen. Moor will advance on Imboden by way of Huntersville and Warm Springs, and Mulligan will advance from New Creek, by way of Petersburg, to Franklin, and I move on him up the Valley, by Staunton (brushing Jones out of the way), his forces can all be gobbled up, the base of guerrillas and raids into West Virginia effectually cut off, and permanent peace given to that region.
I respectfully ask that my whole command may be assembled at this place, and that the injunction on my movements be moved. If this cannot be done soon, I will be compelled to resign, as I would much prefer being a private in an active fighting army to being kept in command of the stationary advance of a railroad guard under a brigadier-general not of a very hostile or pugnacious disposition toward traitors.
My scouts captured a rebel conscripting lieutenant yesterday, who has been a notorious bushwhacker, horse-thief, and murderer, known to have killed 2 of Banks' men in cold blood. What shall I do with him? I would like to hang him if Jefferson Davis and Halleck did not make too big a fuss about it. He richly deserves it.
I would be pleased if I could be trusted to regulate the trade with the citizens of this place and vicinity.
Very respectfully, yours, &c.,
R. H. MILROY,
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. 40, Pages 63-64, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
