Summary:
Union General William Averell writes General Benjamin F. Kelley on the January,
1864, strategic situation in the Shenandoah Valley. He mentions that Confederate
General Jubal Early has established headquarters at Staunton.
Brig.-Gen. KELLEY, Cumberland:
Martinsburg,
January 1, 1864.
I have not much confidence in the pickets of the Twelfth Pennsylvania, who brought in the report that they captured 4 prisoners 4 miles this side of Winchester at 4 o'clock this morning; that the prisoners were subsequently recaptured by 30 rebels, who pursued the scouts of the Twelfth Pennsylvania to Bunker Hill; also that the prisoners had stated that two brigades arrived at Winchester last night. I have sent out Maj. Gibson to relieve the pickets of the Twelfth and have requested Gen. Sullivan to direct his cavalry at Charlestown to communicate with mine at Bunker Hill. It seems probable that Gen. Early has been assigned to the command of the Valley Department, with headquarters at Staunton, and it is likely he is determined to establish an outpost at Winchester or to make a raid on this road. I have placed the infantry and battery in position and taken all measures for defense. If the enemy will wait until my brigade is on its feet he may come. I think it proper, however, to urge that a force of at least 5,000 infantry should be at once established at this point.
WM. W. AVERELL,
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 321-322, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
