Summary:
Confederate Captain W. L. Powell writes Jefferson Davis on the September, 1861,
state of supply in Millborough, VA. He complains that he has not received any
horse teams from the rich country in the Staunton area.
His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:
MILLBOROUGH, VA.,
September 20, 1861.
I have just received a note from Maj. Harman, inclosing a dispatch from you stating that you understood that cars were detained here for the purpose of store-houses, and that the cars were wanted, and must be sent down.
The small county of Rockbridge is the only place that I have had to press teams; I have had them in service now for about two months, and, the roads being in such a terrible state, most of them are now broken down, either horses or wagons. I have never been able to get any teams from Staunton, where they have a fine rich country to get teams from.
In consequence of this, provisions have accumulated upon me to such an extent, that I have had to keep some twelve or fifteen cars for several days.
I will immediately have sheds erected to put provisions in, and have them unloaded as soon as possible. We have some ten or fifteen days' provisions ahead with the army.
I would respectfully refer you to Gen. Loring or to Maj. Corley, the quartermaster of the northwest, for the manners in which provisions have been forwarded form this place heretofore and for the disadvantages under which I have labored.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. L. POWELL,
Capt., Acting Quartermaster.
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 867, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
