SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQES. MIT DIST. OF HARPER'S FERRY Harper's Ferry, Va., August 23, 1864. 10. The brigade of the Nineteenth Army Corps at Bolivar Heights will break camp and hold themselves in readiness to move at once to a position on the left and rear of General Sheridan's line. A battery will report to the commanding officer and accompany the brigade. A staff officer will move the command and place it in position. By order of Brigadier-General Stevenson: H. M. BURLEIGH, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. POINT OF ROCKS, MD., August 23, 1864-7 p. m. Brigadier General STEVENSON: All quiet. A. N. DUFFIÉ, HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION, Major-General SHERIDAN: From a deserter who left Winchester last Saturday I gathered the following: His division (Kershaw's, Longstreet's old corps) left Richmond on the 7th, came by railroad to Charlottesville. He says it was reported that Field's division (same corps) left Richmond soon after, and was coming down east of the Blue Ridge. The following is the organization and strength of Kershaw's division as he gives it: 800 First Brigade (Humphreys'), four regiments, average, 200 Total division Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, 3,000; cavalry, 5,000 From previous information I estimate Early had before his late re-enforcement of infantry. Total Early's present strength... 30, 800 An officer sent to Bloomery Gap reports no enemy west of North Mountain, with the exception of some 300 cavalry at Springfield, which I presume to be McNeill. In addition to the above force, Early has about forty-two pieces of artillery. I have some scouts in rear of Early that I expect in to-day. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. W. AVERELL, Brigadier-General. [AUGUST 23, 1864.-For Forsyth to Averell, directing latter to report to Torbert, see p. 503.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA, Brigadier-General AVERELL, Commanding Cavalry Division, &c.: GENERAL: I have at this place one company of cavalry, two companies infantry, and two pieces of artillery; four additional pieces will be down to-day. At Greencastle and Mercersburg, each, one company of mounted men; two companies of infantry in the gaps between Mercersburg, Loudon, and McConnellsburg, and one in the gap between here and Gettysburg. Should the enemy advance into this valley these gaps will be closed, and, I trust, held. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. N. COUCH, General KELLEY: NEAR MARTINSBURG, August 23, 1864. I am in sight of Martinsburg. The rebels hold Martinsburg; small party of them just came in, and are now driving our scouts out of the town; about five or six of our scouts had come into the town; had not been there long before rebel scouting party came in; they are still firing in the town. Getting very warm here; I must get out of this. I will go back to Hancock, and go by pike to Williamsport if you say so, and find out what is going on. Answer at Hancock. F. B. MILLER. HANCOCK, August 23, 1864. General KELLEY: I have just returned from Back Creek. Sent scouts to North Mountain and Hedgesville. Saw a man from Martinsburg; no troops there. General Averell is at Swamp Run, near Shepherdstown. P. B. PETRIE, Captain. CUMBERLAND, August 23, 1864. Colonel STEVENSON, Commanding 154th Ohio National Guard, New Creek: You will proceed with your command and report to the adjutantgeneral of the State of Ohio at Columbus. Assistant quartermaster will furnish transportation. Order by mail. B. F. KELLEY, Colonel WILKINSON, Clarksburg: CUMBERLAND, August 23, 1864. A portion of the Eighth Virginia Cavalry is at Crab Bottom, going toward Beverly, about 400 strong. Advise the commandant at Beverly,. aud direct him to send a scout toward Monterey at once. Did Captain Hagans' company get their horses? B. F. KELLEY, Brevet Major-General. HEADQUARTERS FORCES WEST C PIEDMONT, RESERVE DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA, Clarksburg, W. Va., August 23, 1864. Maj. Gen. B. F. KELLEY, Cumberland: GENERAL: The guerrilla parties are represented to be infesting all parts of the country south of this, robbing houses, stores, and stealing horses. A glance at the memorandum of the stations and number of troops in this command will convince you that it is utterly impracticable for me to prevent this, and that the whole line of railroad and country is completely exposed anywhere south and west of Rowlesburg, and that a force of fifty rebels could cut the communications anywhere. A scout of fifty men was sent by your direction from here last week, to be gone ten days, leaving at this important depot only thirtynine men for duty, and, having a number of prisoners to guard, it is impracticable to do that and picket the approaches to the town. If there is any possible way of relieving the companies of the Eleventh and Sixth Virginia Infantry, now at New Creek and Cumberland, and sending them to this command, I shall be most happy to have it done. Should the enemy drive the troops (say 450 in all) from Beverly there is nothing for them to fall back on, and no assistance could, in all probability, reach us in time to prevent an advance of that enemy on Grafton and Clarksburg. I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant, [Indorsement.] Colonel, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS, Cumberland, August 26, 1864. Respectfully returned to Col. N. Wilkinson, commanding, Clarksburg, W. Va. It is entirely impossible to dispense with the services of the troops asked for in the locality they are now stationed, but as soon as troops can be had they will be sent as requested. By order of Brevet Major-General Kelley: J. B. FORD, Esq., C. A. FREEMAN, Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. Wheeling: CUMBERLAND, August 23, 1864-11 a. m. Railroad all right west of North Mountain. Trains run regularly to Hancock. Have sent a scout to-day to Martinsburg, or as near as they can get. Will advise you of the result. The opening of the road entirely depends on Sheridan; it is all right within my district. Maj. Gen. L. WALLACE: B. F. KELLEY, MONOCACY, August 23, 1864. No particulars of the fight of Sunday, except we have the enemy's wounded. Everything is very quiet along our lines up as far as Point of Rocks; my patrols go no farther west. We make a certainty of knowing what is going on in the Middle Department and on its immediate borders. We get little or no information of the movements of the enemy. Will telegraph you promptly anything I receive. E. B. TYLER, Brigadier-General. [AUGUST 24, 1864.-For Sheridan to Halleck, reporting operations, &c., see p. 20.] HARPER'S FERRY, W. VA., August 24, 1864. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: The formation of Sheridan's line is as follows: Sixth Corps on right, Nineteenth center, General Crook on left. General Crook is strengthened by a division from Sixth Corps and some other troops massed in support. It is not possible to assault the line successfully except on the left, and every precaution is taken against it there. A reconnaissance at 6 p. m. yesterday, from the right, with cavalry, found no enemy in front of Wright. A scout out to Shepherdstown and Charlestown road followed it to left; found enemy apparently in force about two miles this side of Charlestown. No enemy east of Snicker's Gap at 9 p. m. yesterday. A reconnaissance is now being made in Crook's and Emory's front. Rains have not raised the river perceptibly. SPECIAL ORDERS, ** N. P. CHIPMAN, Colonel and Aide-de-Camp. 3. Lieut. Col. C. R. Smith, Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, is hereby announced as provost-marshal at these headquarters, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly. 9. The First Cavalry Division, Army of West Virginia, BrigadierGeneral Duffié commanding, will be at once dismounted, with the exception of the First New York (Lincoln) and the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. All unserviceable horses belonging to this division will be turned over to the proper accounting officer of the quartermaster's department at Harper's Ferry, Va. 10. As soon as mounted, the above-named regiments will report as follows: The First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry to Brigadier-General Averell, commanding Second Cavalry Division, at Fair Play, near Williamsport, Md., for assignment; the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry to Brigadier-General Stevenson, commanding Military District of Harper's Ferry, for duty. 11. Brigadier-General Duffié will remount his division, under the direction of his department commander, and at such point as he may designate. By command of Major-General Sheridan: A. F. HAYDEN, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, Maj. Gen. C. C. AUGUR: What news have you from your scouting parties in Loudoun County? I am exceedingly anxious to learn. I have heard nothing from Snicker's Gap for two days. Answer. P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General, Commanding. HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF WASHINGTON, 22D ARMY CORPS, Major-General SHERIDAN, Washington, D. C., August 24, 1864. Commanding Middle Military Division, Harper's Ferry: I have no news from the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, or from Gansevoort. A refugee just in from Culpeper, which place he left on Friday last, reports no forces of the enemy there, except a conscripting party and small parties of ten or fifteen passing through daily. Fitzhugh Lee, with his cavalry, about 3,000, and part of Longstreet's corps, about 10,000, left there to join Early last Friday a week. He thinks they went through Sperryville and Thornton's Gap. Mosby, with two pieces of artillery, attacked the small cavalry force at Annandale this morning. I have not yet heard of the result. The force there is in a stockade. C. C. AUGUR, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, General C. C. AUGUR, Washington, D. C.: Scouts just in from Snicker's Gap report no crossing there. A party of cavalry, 300 or 400 strong, was seen about Hillsborough; could not tell whether they were rebels or our people. Have you any one out in that direction? HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF WASHINGTON, 22D ARMY CORPS, Washington, D. C., August 24, 1864-10.15 a. m. Major-General SHERIDAN, Commanding Middle Division, Harper's Ferry: I have nothing from scouting parties later than I sent you this morning. Mosby is said to have been in command of the force that attacked Annandale this morning. He demanded a surrender, which was refused. He opened upon the stockade with two pieces of artillery. He was driven off, Major Horton, Sixteenth New York Cavalry, in command, following him up. I have sent all available cavalry force to join in pursuit. I will inform you the moment I learn anything worth knowing. 57 R R-VOL XLIII, PT I C. C. AUGUR, Major-General, U. S. Volunteers. |
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