Summary:
Confederate John Echols writes from the army rendezvous point at Staunton, VA, in
May, 1861, to inform Robert E. Lee of progress in arming new units. Echols
reports that companies armed with flint lock muskets were sent from Staunton to
Harper's Ferry.
Maj. Gen. R. E. LEE:
MILITARY RENDEZVOUS, Staunton,
May 21, 1861.
SIR:
I have this morning sent off from this post, with orders to report to Col. Jackson, at Harper's Ferry, two companies, one an infantry company from the county of Monroe, numbering eighty-seven men, including commissioned and non-commissioned officers; the other a rifle company from the county of Alleghany, numbering seventy one men, including commissioned and non-commissioned officers. I have armed both companies with flint-lock muskets, a portion of arms brought over from Lexington. I find with the western troops a very great indisposition to take these arms, and it would be better, if possible, to give them the improved arms, as most of them are fine marksmen. There remain here now but three companies, two cavalry companies and a rifle company, which last I will send to Harper's Ferry as soon as I can get them properly equipped, which will be in a day or two. The cavalry companies were ordered here before I reached the post, for the purpose of sending them to the northwest, as I understand. They have not yet been armed, but will be in a day or two, when I shall order them in that direction, in accordance with what seems to have been determined on.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNO. ECHOLS,
Lieut.-Col.
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 99, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
