Summary:
Union General James Wilson writes Colonel Forsyth regarding the September, 1864,
situation in the Shenandoah Valley. He reports that no troops are moving through
Staunton, but many wounded men are headed toward Richmond. He also mentions the
conversion of churches, schools and homes into hospitals.
Lieut. Col. J. W. FORSYTH,
Chief of Staff:
Buckton, Va.,
September 23, 1864
A man just in from New Market, sent to Gen. Torbert, says there are no troops in Powell's Valley, and a pretty good road through if from this place to Woodstock, twenty miles distant; not a soldier on the road. No troops passing from Staunton to Strasburg, but there are many wounded going toward Richmond. Churches, school-houses, and private residences at Woodstock and Mount Jackson turned into hospitals, and people say Early was badly beaten and cannot make a stand till he gets to Port Republic. They fear a movement through Luray or Page Valley. Though, from the fact that the trains of the troops which were in our front yesterday went by Woodstock and New Market, they will probably make a vigorous defense. All the pickets say the enemy had infantry yesterday at Milford, and the people of the country have a report that Kershaw was ordered back and had arrived at Milford. There is no proof that this is so. In the fight yesterday Col. Wells reports he heard the enemy in the woods giving commanded, "load," "fire," &c., not usual in cavalry. Five thousand infantry in Page Valley, either at Gooney Run, Milford, or Luray, and doubtless many other places, could hold it against 40,000 men. There is a pretty fair cavalry road on this side of South Fork to Luray, crossing river at Brushy Bottom, six eight miles from Luray; impracticable for wagons, or nearly so. We are entirely out of provisions, horses worked down, and very little in the country. What is news?
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. H. WILSON,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 43, Serial No. 91, Pages 156-157, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
