752 Series I Volume II- Serial 2 - First Manassas
Page 752 | OPERATIONS IN MD., PA., VA., AND W. VA., Chapter IX. |
The First and Second three-years' New Jersey are there. The First three-months' and Third three-years' New Jersey are at Fairfax Station. General McDowell wishes you to communicate with General Scott whether you will take any of the regiments out of the forts.
J. B. MULLIGAN.
BEVERLY, VA., July 22 [?], 1861.
General WINFIELD SCOTT:
Your telegram of 8 p. m. received. I am much pained at its contents. My three-months' men are homesick and discontented with their officers, and determined to return at once. When I suggested the Staunton movement I expected these regiments to unite in it. I should be compelled to fight the enemy now ascertained in force at Monterey, and should reach Staunton without men enough to accomplish much. McDowell's check would greatly increase my difficulties and render numerous detachments necessary to keep open my communications and protect my flanks. How would it meet your views were I to leave, say, four regiments at Huttonsville and in the strong position of Cheat Mountain, one at Beverly, one at Bulltown, and send two or three and a better general to re-enforce Cox, then move with the rest y railroad to New Creek, on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and effect a junction with Patterson near Jamesburg, on the road from New Creek to Charlestown? With this force, in addition to such State troops as Pennsylvania can furnish, we should be able either to defeat Johnston or separate him from Beauregard, and, connecting with McDowell, fight them in detail. I shall know early to-morrow the exact condition of the three-years' regiments now in Ohio and Indiana. Depending upon that information, I can join Petterson with probably fifteen thousand men besides such as Pennsylvania can furnish. The time required would be about seven days, perhaps six, from the day on which I receive your orders until the junction with Petterson at Jamesburg. This, though not so brilliant a plan as a movement on Staunton, appears to me the sounder and safer one. Whatever your instructions may be, I will do my best to carry them out. I will suspend all further preparations for my projected movement on Kanawha until I hear from you. Please reply by telegraph at once.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, U. S. Army.
WASHINGTON, July 22, 1861.
Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN, Grafton, Va.:
General A. S. Johnston, of the Confederate Army, is marching with a large force into Northwestern Virginia. The operator at Grafton will get this message to General McClellan wherever he may be.
JNO. S. CARLILE.
HEADQUARTERS, July 22, 1861-1 a. m.
General McCLELLAN, Beverly, Va.:
After fairly beating the enemy, and taking three of his batteries, a panic seized McDowell's army, and it is in full retreat on the Potomac.
Page 752 | OPERATIONS IN MD., PA., VA., AND W. VA., Chapter IX. |