Summary:
Confederate General William Loring reports to Adjutant General Samuel Cooper on
December, 1861, troop movements in western Virginia.
Gen. SAMUEL COOPER,
Adjutant and Inspector Gen. C. S.
Army, Richmond, Va.
STAUNTON, VA.,
December 17, 1861.
SIR:
I inclose herewith a copy of the letter of 15th instant this day received from Col. E. Johnson, commanding at Alleghany. In consequence of the necessity of meeting the enemy at Alleghany, and the uncertainty of their movement, I have determined to keep the command of Col. Johnson where it is for the present, holding it in readiness to move at any time in the direction of Moorefield, should it be thought best. I do this for the reason that it would be some days before that command could move, and that it is undoubtedly the determination of the enemy to occupy Alleghany Pass, if possible, and to re-enforce Gen. Kelley by crossing the Alleghany and forming a junction with him via Moorefield. I have, besides the command of Col. Taliaferro four regiments, advanced some days ago, the whole of the troops from the Huntersville line, composed of the three Tennessee, two Virginia regiments, and the Hampden and Danville batteries of artillery, in all, about 6,000 men.
Two of the regiments, the Seventh Tennessee and the Twenty-first Virginia, left here on yesterday, via the Valley road, and the remainder are now at Ryan's, about 20 miles distant, on the Monterey road. I shall order to move to-morrow morning, via Harrisonburg, the whole, to form a junction with Gen. Jackson at the earliest possible moment.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. W. LORING,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 5, Serial No. 5, Pages 460, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
