Summary:
Union Provost Marshall George Sharpe writes General Andrew Humphreys to discuss
Confederate positions, and the supply situation in the army. Sharpe mentions the
June, 1864, capture of Staunton, the results it had on Union supply, and the
subsequent capture by Confederates of a Union wagon train near Gordonsville.
Maj.-Gen. HUMPHREYS,
Chief of Staff:
June 11, 1864.
GEN.:
The following memorandum is forwarded of the information brought by Mitchell, of the Twenty-second North Carolina; communicated last night: He says that up to Wednesday night of this week Anderson's division, of A. P. Hill's corps, was lying in reserve in the rear of Breckinridge's division, which was to the left of Wilcox's (his own) division: that on Wednesday night Anderson relieved Breckinridge and the next day (Thursday) it was found that Breckinridge, had not occupied the former position of Anderson, but it was well understood that he had gone to the Valley.
Previous to this news had been received of the capture of Staunton and a considerable number of prisoners by our forces, and it was also rumored within the rebel lines that some of our forces were advancing this way and had got as far as Orange Court-House. It was added that subsequent to the capture of Staunton some successes had been achieved by the Confederates in the capture of a large wagon train, reported 300 in number at a point which was only indistinctly stated as being above Gordonsville.
On Thursday pease and onions were issued to Scales' brigade, potatoes to McGowan's brigade, and curried cabbage to Thomas' brigade, all of Wilcox's division. The amounts were ample, and the issues were understood to have been the result of the capture. Mitchell states that it is well known that we are not using the railroad to the White House, and that on Wednesday evening, lying near Gen. Scales, who was talking with other officers, he heard him say that we were not preparing to use it. He says that a large number of scouts are employed to continually approach and reconnoiter our lines in front, as it is their momentary expectation to find our lines withdrawn for the purpose of being passed to the left to the James River. For this, it is claimed, full preparation has been made, and it is given out in the rebel army that a portion of Gen. Beauregard's forces have occupied and entrenched Malvern Hill, and that their lines are sufficiently prolonged to connect with Malvern Hill from their present position in our front. Wilcox's division lies in front of Gen. Birney's division of the Second Army Corps.
Very respectfully,
GEORGE H. SHARPE,
Col. and Deputy Provost-Marshal-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 36, Serial No. 69, Pages 746-747, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
