Summary:
Army of the Potomac commander George G. Meade reports to General in Chief Henry
Halleck on the disposition of forces in the Shenandoah Valley in January, 1864.
Meade reports that Confederates under Early advanced down the Valley to raid the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad while maintaining a line of retreat to Staunton.
Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Gen.-in-Chief:
Near Brandy Station, Va.,
January 5, 1864--1 p. m.
(Received 2 p. m.)
Our scouts have returned from the valley, and reported that Early's command, consisting of five brigades of infantry, estimated at 7,000, together with Lee's, Rosser's, Imboden's, and Jenkins' cavalry, and some artillery, passed down the valley about Friday last with the intention of making a raid on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, but the main body moved from Woodstock over to Moorefield, intending to attack and cut the railroad at New Creek; that a detachment of infantry --Thomas' (Georgia) brigade--and some cavalry were sent through Strasburg to threaten Martinsburg, as a diversion. This intelligence is deemed reliable, and seems to be confirmed by the movements reported by Gen. Kelley.
The cavalry sent to Front Royal returned yesterday evening completely exhausted, and reported the roads passed over impassable for any trains. At present, with snow on the ground, the only passable road open to a detachment from this army, viz, the Culpeper and Sperryville pike, is not practicable, from the balling of the snow in the animal's hoofs. I hold the balance of the Sixth Corps, about 10,000 men, a division of cavalry, about 4,000, and some artillery, with a bridge train, in readiness for any movement you may order; but I am still of the opinion that the operations against Early, to be effective, should be from the railroad and defensive, and the character of the season and roads, together with the difficulty of procuring supplies, after exhausting those carried with them, will rendered nugatory any effort made from this army to cut off Early's retreat, as he has a road via Franklin to withdraw to Staunton, in addition to the one through Woodstock. Again, to re-enforce Kelley, if necessary, from this army would require a smaller detachment than an independent movement into the valley, thus weakening me proportionately less. Defensive movements also would have roads, and the troops be more readily supplied. Under existing circumstances, I shall await your orders before making any movement.
GEO. G. MEADE,
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 346-347, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
