Summary:
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston writes Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin
on the November, 1861, strategic situation in northern Virginia. Johnston
expresses the hope that troops from Staunton can be moved to aid him.
Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Acting Secretary of War:
Centreville, HDQRS.,
November 16, 1861.
SIR:
I respectfully inclose herewith copies of two letters just received from Brig.-Gen. Whiting. His officer, with his town brigade and three Texan regiments of Wogfall's brigade, is in the neighbourhood of Dumfries. I have directed that the three new regiments shall be added to this force-those coming via Fredericksburg.
My object in laying these letters before you is to show the importance of additional re-enforcement to enable Brig.-Gen. Whiting to defeat such attempts of the enemy as he expects. If you have any disposable troops, I venture to assert that no more important object can be found for their employed. Superior numbers and the control of the river and possession of a great number of vessels, give the United States troops in Maryland opposite to Evansport great advantages over us. Should he (the enemy) establish himself on our shore in force, he will so intrench himself in a few hours as to make it impossible to dislodge him, and we shall soon have a fortified army on our right flank. The condition of the roads is now such from the rains, unusual at this season, that the troops here cannot move with such facility as to be able to guard this position and watch the Lower Occoquan and shore of the Potomac near its mount. We have great difficulty in transporting our supplies from Manassas even. It is necessary, therefore, in order to prevent the apprehended landing of the enemy, that we should have as nearly as possible a sufficient number of troops to repel the enemy on the Occoquan or the bank of the Potomac. It would be impossible to march from this position in time to aid Brig.-Gen. Whiting after learning the enemy's designs, which could only be known after his movements should be commenced.
Should the enemy establish a new base on the river below the Occoquan in the manner indicated above, it would be impossible to hold this position. The superiority of numbers against us makes it impracticable to divide this army. This position cannot be given up upon any conjuncture of the enemy's designs. I therefore respectfully urge that any disposable troops you may have be ordered to this army for service under Gen. Writing. Should they be at Richmond, the Fredericksburg road would be most expeditious for a part of the force at least.
The Adjutant-Gen. informed me that 6,000 or 7,000 of Gen. Lorning's troops would be near Staunton about his time. They might serve here during the crisis, and afterward perform the service for which they have been intended.
This will be delivered to you by Lieut. Lane, son of the late United States Senator from Oregon.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. E. JOHNSTON,
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 955-956, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
