Summary:
Confederate General John Echols writes from Staunton to Robert E. Lee in May,
1861, concerning recruiting. Echols discusses the regiments he has on hand in
the town, and the marching orders for those ready to go to the front.
Maj. Gen. R. W. LEE,
Commander-in-Chief,
&c.:
STAUNTON,
May 16, 1861.
SIR:
Under your order of 6th instant, directing me to call out and muster into the service of the State two regiments of volunteers, I proceeded immediately to call upon the companies of the nine counties named in said order, and was expecting soon to muster in the specified force. I have, however, been informed to-day by Maj. Harman, of the quartermaster's department, that under directions or advice from Richmond, he had directed the force from two or three of these counties to be sent to the northwest. This will prevent me for some time, probably, from raising as large a force as two regiments, but I shall endeavor to raise as many as possible. I have here now two rifle companies and an infantry company, which I will send on to Harper's Ferry as soon as they can possibly be equipped, which will be in two or three days. There are also two cavalry companies here, called out a day or two before I reached here by Maj. Harman, who intended them for the northwest. I shall, however, in compliance with your order of the 15th instant, this evening received, send at least one of the companies to Harper's Ferry. The infantry and rifle companies I shall, unless otherwise directed by you, arm with the flint-lock muskets now here.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNO. ECHOLS,
Lieut.-Col. of Volunteers.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 51, Serial No. 108, Pages 92-93, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
