Summary:
Union Cavalry General William Averell writes Colonel Forsyth regarding cavalry
preparations in western Virginia during August, 1864. Averell mentions that West
Virginia cannot be occupied by Confederates until the railroad running west of
Staunton is repaired.
Lieut. Col. J. W. FORSYTH,
Chief of Staff, Middle
Military Division:
Martinsburg, W. Va.,
August 16, 1864.
COL.:
I have the honor to request that the detachment of the Eighth Ohio Cavalry at Beverly be ordered to join the regiment at this place at once. It is impossible for the enemy to occupy West Virginia west of the Alleghany Mountains until the railroad is repaired west of Staunton. The country is perfectly destitute of supplies, and no force except small parties can operate in Randolph County. There are plenty of discharged soldiers in Barbour and Harrison Counties who can take care of all the guerrillas in that section. It is very important that the 400 men of the Eighth Ohio Cavalry, now at Beverly, should join the regiment at once. It is one of the best veteran regiments in service, but is unfortunately armed with the Union carbine, in which the men have no confidence. I desire to get the regiment together and arm them with Enfield rifles. They are the finest skirmishers and sharpshooters in service. Their separation is detrimental to their discipline and their accounts are in a very disorderly state. In its present position it is of no use; together, it would add greatly to the strength of my division.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. W. AVERELL,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 43, Serial No. 90, Pages 819, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
