Summary:
Confederate General Samuel Jones writes General John Imboden at Staunton
concerning a proposed spring, 1863, cavalry expedition into western
Virginia.
Brig.-Gen. IMBODEN, Staunton:
Dublin,
March 8, 1863.
GEN.:
You will find on the first page of this a copy of a letter which I received to-day from the Secretary of War. You will see that he directs me to send you a copy of his letter in the event of my giving my sanction to the expedition proposed by Capt. McNeill.
I fully approve of the expedition, and have had it in contemplation for some time, but have been unable to carry it out because of the want of cavalry, having been obliged to send off all of my cavalry horses to a distance from the railroad, to be foraged. You are in position to know better than I do the obstacles to the east of Beverly in the way of Capt. McNeill's expedition. I cannot be able to send a cavalry expedition to Cheat River until the grass has put up sufficiently to support the horses, and though I am anxious to send an expedition to accomplish the object proposed, I desire to give every assistance in my power to any one who is prepared to undertake it sooner than I can. If I understand the construction of the bridge, its destruction, even when we have quiet possession of it, will be a difficult operation. An engineer officer on duty with me, who understands the structure of the bridge, is provided with tools and implements for its destruction. I will send him, with 10 men who understand the business, with the tools, to join the expedition as soon as it is ready to move.
There are but 300 or 400 troops at Beverly, so far as I can ascertain. If you can capture them or engage their attention while Capt. McNeill is making his expedition, it will contribute to his success.
Please keep me promptly informed of what is done or proposed to be done in this matter. Capt. McNeill will send a special messenger to inform me when he is ready to start.
Very respectfully, &c.,
SAM. JONES,
Maj.-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 659-660, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
