Summary:
Union General Henry Halleck writes General David Hunter on May, 1864, operations in the Shenandoah Valley. Halleck mentions the importance of Staunton as a Confederate base of supply.

---

Maj.-Gen. HUNTER,
Cmdg. Department of West Virginia:

WASHINGTON,

May 21, 1864

I now learn that Gen. Grant's instructions to Gen. Sigel were to move up the Shenandoah with all his available force to meet Gen. Crook, who was ordered to cut New River bridge, on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad; then move to Lynchburg, if he could, and if not, to Fincastle, Staunton, and down the Shenandoah Valley. It appears that the railroad and New River bridge have been destroyed, but whether Crook is moving north or west is uncertain. If he returns to the Kanawha Valley his available force will be brought to Harper's Ferry. Gen. Grant says Lee is receiving supplies through Staunton, and thinks it best that you move in that direction, and, if you do not meet with too much opposition reach Staunton and Gordonsville or Charlottesville. Moreover, if you hold at bay a force equal to your own, you will be doing him good service.

H. W. HALLECK,
Maj.-Gen. and Chief of Staff.

---

Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 37, Serial No. 70, Pages 507, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.