HEADQUARTERS NORTHWESTERN VIRGINIA,
Laurel Hill, Va., June 20, 1861.
Brig. Gen. S. COOPER,
Adjt. and Insp. Gen. C. S. Army, Richmond, Va.:
SIR: I wrote to you yesterday from Beverly in relation to two additional companies of cavalry, but I am constrained to recur to the subject again to-day, to urge upon you the necessity of great dispatch in forwarding them to me. During the last two days the enemy have evinced great activity and boldness in pushing their scouts to within two or three miles of my position, on the approaches to it, and it has quite worn down my small cavalry force (two companies at this point) in watching and checking their movements. The force is too small to enable me to push heavy scouts as far to the front as I desire. My scouts have had one or two partial encounters with those of the enemy, in which we have captured one of their men and two horses, and have killed one man and wounded others; but the service is too hard on the men and horses. The enemy are reported to be six thousand strong in Philippi, and about four thousand strong in Grafton, with six pieces of artillery (two rifled) at the former place; but these numbers vary very much. I do not think that they have more than seven thousand at Grafton and Philippi together. As I must keep one or two pieces of artillery in each of the passes now held by me, I hope it may not be deemed unreasonable if I ask two additional pieces. Could I get rifled pieces? Lieutenant-Colonel Pegram’s regiment will reach me to-morrow. Colonel Ramsey’s regiment of Georgia volunteers is two days behind Colonel Pegram.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. S. GARNETT,
Brigadier-General.
Sources
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. II. With additions and corrections. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902.
Spirit of '61 