Summary:
By mid-June, 1864, Union forces that had advanced into the Shenandoah Valley returned to West Virginia. In this letter, Union Captain E. B. Gere reports that before his withdrawal he had heard that Confederate troops were in the vicinity of Staunton, which had been briefly held by the Union.

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Maj.-Gen. STAHEL:

BEVERLY,

June 18, 1864.

Have returned to Beverly went beyond Hightown. Learned that there was a rebel force at or near Staunton, and that Gen. Hunter had gone to Lexington. The people all along our way were told a day or two previous that the detachment was coming through to Staunton by some of the released prisoners that Col. Harris had sent from here. I had no guide, nor could not get one, and was entirely ignorant of the country. My command is nearly out of ammunition, having none since we left the regiment. I send the dispatches through the way directed by Maj. Lang and think they will get through.

E. B. GERE,
Capt., Cmdg.

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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 648-649, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.