Summary:
Union General Ulysses S. Grant orders General David Hunter to join in destroying
the Virginia Central Railroad in June, 1864. Grant orders Hunter to proceed east
from Staunton through Charlottesville.
Maj. Gen. D. HUNTER,
Cmdg. Department of West
Virginia:
COLD HARBOR, VA.,
June 6, 1864.
GEN.:
Gen. Sheridan leaves here to-morrow morning with instructions to proceed to Charlottesville, Va., and to commence there the destruction of the Virginia Central Railroad, destroying this way as much as possible. The complete destruction of this road and of the canal on James River is of great importance to us. According to the instructions I sent to Gen. Halleck for your guidance, you were to proceed to Lynchburg and commence there. It would be of great value to us to get possession of Lynchburg for a single day; but that point is of so much importance to the enemy that in attempting to get it such resistance may be met as to defeat your getting into the road or canal at all. I see in looking over the letter to Gen. Halleck on the subject of your instructions that it rather indicates that your route should be from Staunton via Charlottesville. If you have so understood it you will be doing just what I want. The direction I would now give is, that if this letter reaches you in the Valley between Staunton and Lynchburg, you immediately turn east by the most practicable road until you strike the Lynchburg branch of the Virginia Central road. From there move eastward along the line of the road, destroying it completely and thoroughly until you join Gen. Sheridan. After the work laid out for Gen. Sheridan and yourself is thoroughly done, proceed to join the Army of the Potomac by the route laid out in Gen. Sheridan's instructions. If any portion of your force, especially your cavalry, is needed back in your department you are authorized to send it back. If on receipt of this you should be near to Lynchburg, and deem it practicable to reach that point, you will exercise your judgment about going there. If you should be on the railroad between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, it may be practicable to detach a cavalry force to destroy the canal. Lose no opportunity to destroy the canal.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT,
Lieut.-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 598, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
