Summary:
Confederate General Jubal A. Early, commanding in the Shenandoah Valley in
February, 1864, writes a letter expressing his poor opinion of General John D.
Imboden's cavalry command. Early mentions the murder in the streets of Staunton
of one of Imboden's sergeants as partial justification.
Respectfully forwarded.
February 12, 1864.
The extent of my remarks in regard to Gen. Imboden's command is very greatly exaggerated. I have not spoken of the command in public, but have mentioned on several occasions in private the condition in which, I am sorry to say, I have found it, and I have said more to Col. Smith, who has commanded it for the greater part of the time I have been in the valley, than to any one else, and more on the occasion of a very recent murder of one of the sergeants of the command in the streets of Staunton by a lieutenant than at any other time. I am sorry to say that I have found the command generally in a very bad state of discipline, and from what I have seen and heard of it, I should feel great reluctance to have to rely on it in any emergency. I had intended to call Gen. Imboden's attention to the condition of his command, and urge upon him the necessity of improving its discipline and efficiency. No injury has been done this command in public estimation by any remarks that I have made, or am reputed to have made, for I have found the opinion very generally prevailing in all parts of the country where I have been and the command has operated that it is inefficient and undisciplined. What is the cause of this state of things I can only conjecture, but I think it due in great part to the fact that a large number of the men have been recruited from deserters from other parts of the army. I hope that the inquiry asked for may be granted, and that it may result in materially improving the condition of the command.
J. A. EARLY,
Maj.-Gen., Cmdg.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 33, Serial No. 60, Pages 1168, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
