Summary:
Confederate General Samuel Jones writes Secretary of War James Seddon concerning
the July, 1863, situation in western Virginia. He reports on troops moving from
Dublin to Staunton.
Hon. James A. Seddon,
Secretary of War:
Salt Sulphur Springs, Va.,
July 11, 1863.
Sir:
On the 9th instant, I received a dispatch from Col. McCausland, commanding near Raleigh Court-House, informing me that the enemy at Fayetteville had been re-enforced; that he had captured their mail, and he apprehended that he would soon be attacked, and asked for re-enforcements. The only troops I could have sent him were those I had ordered, under instructions from you, to go to the Valley, and I did not think the extent of the re-enforcements he then mentioned the enemy had received sufficient to excite serious apprehension for the safety of the position held by McCausland. About 5 o'clock this morning, however, I received another dispatch from him, informing me that the enemy's troops in the Kanawha Valley had been concentrated at Fayetteville to attack and drive him off; that they had seven regiments of infantry, two regiments of cavalry, and two batteries of artillery, while he had but two regiments of infantry, four companies of cavalry, and two batteries, and lie urges me to send him re-enforcements. I have, therefore, reluctantly stopped the movement of the 2,000 infantry from Lewisburg to Winchester, that I might be able to re-enforce Col. McCausland.
The position he holds I regard as very important, and if my force there were driven away and overwhelmed, the way to the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad would be entirely open to the enemy, and this section of country would have to be temporarily abandoned.
Under all the circumstances, therefore, I thought it my duty to delay, at least, the movement to Winchester, and telegraphed you this morning that I had done so. I felt the less hesitation in doing so, because, before you ordered away any portion of my troops, the President asked me if any could be spared, and I presume it was on my reply that the order was given, circumstances having so materially changed since I wrote to the President that I could not doubt the propriety of acting according to the dictates of my own judgment, under the altered condition of affairs.
Col. Wharton was to have started, and I presume did start, from Dublin yesterday evening, with 1,100 infantry by railroad per Lynchburg to Staunton. From thence he will move without unnecessary delay to Winchester. As so small a portion of the force ordered to Winchester is now en route to that place, and the circumstances having so changed as to justify me, I think, in delaying the movement of the others, I shall not go to Winchester myself unless ordered to do so after you receive my telegram of this morning. I have received no orders or instructions in regard to the move to Winchester other than your telegram and one from Gen. Cooper, simply directing me to go with my troops to Winchester, where I would receive orders. If ordered to go to Winchester, I can reach there as soon as Col. Wharton can with his command.
With great respect, your obedient servant,
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 27, Serial No. 45, Pages 995-996, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
