Summary:
Confederate Assistant Adjutant Robert Chilton writes William Loring, commanding
at Staunton, to ask that he send some of his cavalry east in November, 1861.
Gen. W. W. LORING, Staunton, Va.:
RICHMOND,
November 22, 1861.
GEN.:
The Secretary of War is disposed to think, from the great difficulty in obtaining forage and the reported reduced condition of horses of cavalry companies in the mountains, that you may dispense with a part of the cavalry force with you, retaining that portion of your cavalry which has been raised in Western Virginia, and therefore better able, on the part of both horses and men, to stand the climate. Cavalry is greatly needed in the region of country between the Potomac and Rappahannock, and if you can dispense with the service of Capt.'s Hatchett's and Douglas' companies-the first from Lunengurg, the latter from Kent and King George-and Maj. Lere's squadron, it is desired that you will at once order them to move down to Maj.-Gen. Homles' command, for duty upon the Rappahannock. If you have another company of cavalry (say, Capt. Richards') disposable, the Secretary would prefer its being also ordered to that point, three Virginia companies being required to complete a cavalry regiment to be organized, if possible, in the District of the Lower Potomac.
Very respectfully, &c.,
R. H. CHILTON,
Assistant Adjutant-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 967, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
