Summary:
Robert E. Lee writes to General John Imboden concerning the August, 1863, situation in the Shenandoah Valley. Lee instructs Imboden to guard wagons hauling grain and supplies, to move civilians and their property behind Confederate lines, recruit for the army, and to arrest all deserters and send them to Staunton.

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Brig. Gen. J. D. IMBODEN,
Cmdg. Northwestern Virginia Brigade:

August 9, 1863.

GEN.:

Your letter of August 7 has been received.

I hope ere this the people from the lower valley have been able to move up within our lines, with much of their cattle and other property, You will, I hope, give them all the protection you can.

The government wagons, hauling grain and other supplies, must be protected. If the cattle and horses belonging to the Government are in danger in lower Rockingham, they should be moved higher up.

Instruct the officers sent to the passes on your flank to be very watchful, and take every precaution against any attempt of Averell to get into your rear, or to make a raid upon our resources in Rockingham. After the removal of everything of value about Strasburg, you must take position so as to protect the valley, whether the attack comes from the direction of Winchester, the eastern gaps, or from the South branch Valley.

I hope that McNeill's expedition has proved successful, and that he may return without loss.

Spare no efforts to recruit your command. Arrest all deserters from this army whom you may find in the valley, and send them to Staunton,

Did you give McNeill notice of the attempt of Averell to cut him off? If you have not, you must make a movement to divert attack from him.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,
Gen.

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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 631-632, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.