Summary:
In May, 1864, Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley prepared to advance in
conjunction with General Grant's offensive in the east. In this letter, Robert
E. Lee warns General John C. Breckinridge of these developments, and expresses
the opinion that Union General William Averell planned to capture Staunton.
Maj. Gen. J. C. BRECKINRIDGE,
Cmdg. Department of
Southwestern Virginia:
May 1, 1864.
GEN.:
I gather from the reports of scouts recently from the Valley that Averell has set out on an expedition, the design of which is either to reach some point on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, or to effect the capture of Staunton. The general impression is that he will pursue the route which he took on his last raid. I think it would be well to have everything prepared to meet him, and, in conjunction with Gen. Imboden, to destroy him, if possible. The enemy will probably make a diversion from the Kanawha Valley to keep your forces occupied while he accomplishes his main design. I am inclined to think that his object is to move on Staunton. If so, you might move against his line of communications while Imboden holds him in front, or concoct some other plan of defeating him. These movements in the western department will probably be simultaneous with the attack by Grant here, who has recently been re-enforced by Burnside's army from Annapolis, so it will be impossible to send any re-enforcements to the Valley from this army. I have instructed Gen. Imboden to communicate with you. A late report from a citizen places Gen. Sigel at Martinsburg, but this conflicts with former reports.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,
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 707, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
