Summary:
November, 1861, Confederate Special Orders concerning troop movements in western
Virginia. Some of the troops are ordered to Staunton, where the quartermaster
must provide transportation and supply.
SPECIAL ORDERS, No. 163. HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, ARMY OF NORTHWEST,
Camp Barton, Va.,
November 18, 1861.
In obedience to orders received from headquarters Army of the Northwest the troops of this command will prepare to retire from this position and take post as follows: On summit of Alleghany, Thirty-first, Thirty-seventh, Fifty-second, Twenty-fifth, and Hansbrough's battalion, Virginia Regiments, Flournoy's company of cavalry, and Anderson's and Miller's batteries; at a point toward Monterey (to be designated), Forty-fourth Virginia Regt. and one section of Rice's battery, Col. W. C. Scott commanding; Fork of Waters, Fifty-eighth Virginia Regt. and one section of Rice's battery, Col. E. Goode commanding. The remaining companies of the cavalry will retain their present positions, scouting thoroughly the country between Monterey and Petersburg. The Danville Artillery will re-enforce the column at Huntersville, proceeding by the road known as the Warm Springs road. The remainder of the troops will proceed to Staunton. In order to facilitate the movements the quartermaster of the post will take immediate charge of all the transportation which is now at or may come to the post, and move all surplus stores, baggage, &c., to the summit of Alleghany, leaving one wagon with each regiment for the necessary police purposes. It is enjoined upon commander of regiments to see that all but indispensable equipage be forwarded. On Wednesday, the 20th instant, the post quartermaster will take charge of all the transportation and distribute it equitably among the different corps. Regimental quartermasters or officers detailed for the purpose will cause the trains to be driven to their respective parade grounds to encamp for the night, and under the superintendence of their commanders assign transportation to each company. The general will be sounded from each brigade headquarters at 3 a. m. on the 21st instant, when the tents will be struck and wagons packed and placed upon the road, each train in charge of its quartermaster, and without further orders will proceed to the summit of Alleghany, where an officer will further direct them. It is expected that the whole of the wagon train will be in motion by 4 a. m. That regiment which shall occasion delay will be placed in the rear and kept there during the entire march. On the departure of the wagons the troops will remain on their parade grounds to await orders, and it is strictly forbidden to leave their stations without permission for necessary purposes.
By order of Gen. Jackson:
S. M. BARTON,
Lieut.-Col., Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
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 382-383, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
