Summary:
Union Chief of Staff Henry Halleck writes General Grant to report to him on the
makeup of the Confederate raiding force in Maryland during July, 1864. He
reports that they are reinforced in part by troops from Staunton.
Lieut.-Gen. GRANT,
City Point, Va.:
WASHINGTON,
July 15, 1864
From the most reliable information we have been able to collect the raiding force in Maryland consisted of, first, Early's corps, reorganized, in three divisions, under Rodes, Gordon, and Ramseur (Johnson's old), re-enforced in Virginia by conscripts and convalescents to about 12,000; second, Breckinridge's corps (a new one), consisting of two divisions; re-enforced by all the rebel troops at Staunton, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and in the Valley, to about 12,000; third, the cavalry of McCausland, Ransom, Imboden, Rodes, Bradley Johnson, Gilmor, and Mosby. Ransom seems to have had principal command. Its force is estimated by good observers at from 4,000 to 6,000. All the dismounted men have been remounted on stolen horses. The artillery and trains have also been supplied with fresh animals. They have between twenty and thirty pieces of artillery. Some, however, who prevented to have counted them, say they number much higher. Many estimate the entire force at from 30,000 to 40,000. The mass of evidence would make it a little less than the former number. Their loss at Monocacy and near Silver Springs was considerable, but they say they have made it up by volunteers and conscripts. Their captures have not been valuable, except in horses. The foregoing is formed from the most reliable data that I can obtain,and is about the lowest estimate. Some estimates are unquestionably very much exaggerated. I give the organizations in order that you may compare them with data which you have.
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. 71, Pages 330-331, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
