Summary:
Confederate General John Imboden reports to General Jubal Early on the February,
1864, movements of his cavalry. Imboden discusses plans to move to Augusta
County.
Maj. Gen. J. A. EARLY,
Cmdg. Valley District:
Hays' Creek, Rockbridge County, Va.,
February 22, 1864.
GEN.:
Your letter of this date has been received. I will send a squadron down the valley to-morrow morning to relieve Gen. Rosser's pickets below Woodstock, as directed. I will also move my camp day after to-morrow to my old camp ground, this side of Swoope's Depot. I would move to-morrow, but all my wagons have been sent out 15 miles from camp to-day in search of forage, and will not be in before to-morrow evening. Until Thomas' and Walker's brigades actually move from Rockingham, I presume there is no necessity for me to move the main body of my command to that county; and till that necessity exists it is of the utmost importance for me to remain as far south as possible, on account of forage. I shall be compelled after I go to Rockingham to haul most of my grain from this (Rockbridge) county; therefore every day that I can remain as far south as, say, Swoope's Depot I will save that much in transportation. I scarcely see how it will be possible for me to subsist my horses in Rockingham, when compelled to go there, with the limited transportation allowed by general orders. You are doubtless aware of the fact that Rockingham is nearly exhausted of forage and grain of all kinds, and that Shenandoah and the country below is so completely exhausted that it is with great difficulty and labor, and constant controversies with the people, that even a small picket force can be supplied. My own horses are as much in need of rest as those of any brigade in the army, and I had hoped that for three or four weeks I could rest and feed them here. As that cannot be, however, I will go down to Augusta day after to-morrow, and hope that by furnishing the mounted picket to relieve Gen. Rosser, you will permit me to remain there until orders are received for the return of Gen.'s Thomas and Walker to the Army of Northern Virginia, when I will at once proceed to take my entire command to Rockingham and support it as best I can. If you will notify me the day before the infantry brigades move, I will move down so as to conceal their movements from the knowledge of the enemy. You are mistaken in supposing that the Staunton and Parkersburg road is open and unguarded. There is a guard at McDowell, stopping all persons on that road, under Lieut. Carpenter, enrolling officer of Highland County, and I have a company besides in the northwestern part of Highland, co-operating with four companies in Pendleton, to clean out the "swamps," arrest deserters, conscripts, and all suspicious parties. These forces cover all the approaches in that direction more effectually than any picket could do where you propose it (east of the Shenandoah Mountain), as there are several routes by which such a picket could be flanked from the valley. When the companies I now have on duty west of the Shenandoah Mountain return next week, I will station a picket permanently on that road, or keep a small force constantly scouting the roads in Highland and Pendleton. I also have four companies on the South Fork and South Branch, scouting, foraging, and gathering up cattle for my own command, sent out from Rockingham before I moved from Mount Crawford. McNeill is also over there, I understand, so that I regard all western outlets from the valley very effectually closed up. If you desire me to move right on to Rockingham, you will find me after to-morrow 7 miles southwest of Staunton, where I was camped last week, near Jacob Baylor's.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. D. IMBODEN,
Brig.-Gen.
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 1194-1195, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
