Summary:
Union General Andrew Humphreys discusses December, 1864, Confederate troop movements reported by a deserter from the Staunton area. The Confederate soldier reported that his division had been moved from Staunton to the Petersburg area.

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Maj. Gen. N. A. MILES,
Cmdg. Reconnaissance:

December 9, 1864.

A deserter from Gordon's division, of Early's corps, came in this morning. He says the division he belongs to left the Valley near Staunton yesterday morning, coming by railroad to Petersburg, arriving there before sunset last evening, and marching to the intrenchments near Boisseau's, and relieving the troops there. He says Pegram's division, of Early's corps, was to follow Gordon's division. Gordon has no doubt relieved Heth's division and perhaps Wilcox's, and they are moving against Warren. Mahone's division moved against him yesterday morning. Heth's and Wilcox's would move through Dinwiddie Court-House, or may march toward Stony Creek, passing nearer Hatcher's Run than Dinwiddie Court-House. In either case, hearing of your movement, one or both may strike at you; so look out after you cross Hatcher's Run. If you find the run strongly defended at crossing of Vaughan road there is a crossing at Armstrong's Mill, one mile and a half above, by which you might turn the first.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,
Maj.-Gen. of Volunteers.

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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 42, Serial No. 89, Pages 911, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.