Summary:
Union General George Crook writes to report his May, 1864, progress toward
Staunton, VA. Crook reports his intention to get supplies from the countryside,
but orders many items to be sent to meet him at Staunton.
COMDG. GEN. DEPARTMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA:
LEWISBURG,
May 31, 1864.
Left Meadow Bluff this morning. Expect to be in Staunton in about six days. We can get plenty of fresh beef in this country, but the other necessary supplies cannot be obtained in the country, even if every pound was taken from the people. I shall, however, drain the country of all supplies as I pass through. Owing to the miserable transportation sent me here my command is in very low state. I shall insist on having an investigation of this matter, so as to have guilty parties punished. It came very near making the whole expedition a failure. It will be indispensably necessary to have to meet me at Staunton the following articles of supplies: Fifty kegs of horseshoes, 1,500 pounds of horseshoe nails, 500 hats, 1,000 blouses, 1,000 pants, 1,500 shirts, 2,000 pairs drawers, 3,000 pairs socks, 2,000 pairs boots, 1,000 haversacks, 1,000 canteens, 500 ponchos, for the Second Cavalry Division. Two thousand pairs infantry pants, 5,000 pairs stockings, 2,000 pairs shoes, 1,200 pairs drawers, 3,000 shirts, 3,000 blouses, 3,000 hats, 3,000 canteens, 3,000 haversacks, 50 kegs fitted horseshoes, 25 kegs fitted mule shoes, 10 sacks horseshoe nails, 100 6-mule wagons with teams complete, with forage for 1,500 animals, for the Second Infantry Division. One hundred thousand rations hard bread, coffee, sugar, salt, half rations salt meat. Send to the medical director field supplies of medicine, dressings, applications, stimulants, anti-periodics, astringents, morphia, anesthetics, antiscorbutics, fruit, vegetables, and extracts, of Government and Sanitary Commission, sufficient for eight cavalry regiments and twelve infantry.
GEO. CROOK,
Brig.-Gen.
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 561, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
