Summary:
Union General Benjamin F. Kelley reports to Chief of Staff Cullum on William
Averell's December, 1863, raid into western Virginia. Kelley also discusses
diversionary advances on Staunton and other places in the Valley.
Brig. Gen. G. W. CULLUM,
Chief of Staff:
CUMBERLAND, MD.,
December 8, 1863
Brig.-Gen. Averell left New Creek this morning with three regiments of cavalry and a battery, for the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. He will proceed via Petersburg, Franklin, Monterey, Covington, and Fincastle, and strike the railroad in Botetourt and Roanoke Counties. Brig.-Gen. Scammon will also move from the Kanawha to-day, on Lewisburg and Union, for the purpose of threatening the enemy and the railroad near New River, engaging his attention and making a diversion in Averell's favor. Brig.-Gen. Sullivan will move a force up the valley via Winchester, Strasburg, Woodstock, &c., threatening Staunton, and engage the attention of Imboden, and prevent him from sending a force against Averell.
Lee may possibly send a mounted force when he learns of this movement, from his left, for the purpose of cutting Averell off; but this, if attempted, I hope will be frustrated by corresponding movements of Gen. Meade's cavalry. If my plans and orders are promptly and faithfully executed, I hope to accomplish important results. It will certainly cut off all communication by railroad and telegraph between Lee and Longstreet.
B. F. KELLEY,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 29, Serial No. 49, Pages 552, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
