531 Series I Volume V- Serial 5 - West Virginia
Page 531 | Chapter XIV. WITHDRAWAL OF CONFEDERATE FORCES. |
The Twenty-four wagons of which he speaks were a train loaded with forage, which arrived at my headquarters at 9 p.m. on the night of the 7th, having been three days on the route from Manassas, and which I had to send even then to Colonel Hampton. They only reached him at 4.30 o'clock on the morning of the 8th-8 miles. This may illustrate Prince William County and its roads.
Although ready on the Third Brigade and the Texas Brigade to march at sunrise and our trains already off, I kept them both under arms in position until 1.30 p.m., until General French had been two hours clear of Evansport and Colonel Hampton's rear guard had passed Greenwood Church or Neabsco.
The whole division marched over the Rappahannock by brigades, on Monday and Tuesday following the 8th, in perfect order.
I call attention to the foregoing general orders of Major-General Holmes, so far as it refers to my division.*
I hope this report will be satisfactory to the President. I respectfully demand that it be referred to my commanding general (General Joseph E. Johnston), under whose special orders I acted, and who has honored me with special confidence.
I also respectfully demand, with regard to the use of public property in my division and vigilance over the expedinture of public money and stores, that reference be made to General Johnston's inspector, Colonel A. Cole, who inspected a few days before the move.
Very respectfully,
W. H. C. WHITING,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division, Occoquan, Va.
Major-General HOLMES,
Commanding Aquia District, Virginia.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BARTOW, VA.,
March 22, 1862.GENERAL: Since I dispatched my report to you Colonel Archer has informed me (and this is the first that I have ever heard of it) that General Wigfall had accumulated at Dumfries an extra supply of ammunition for his brigade. It had not been issued to regiments nor reported to division headquarters, probably owing to General Wigfall's absence in Congress. The wagons were loaded with as much of it as could be possibly taken; but thirty rounds had to be sacrificed. This is the first information as to that (or even as to there being any supply other than that required by my general orders) I have ever had, and I cannot consider myself at all responsible either for its accumulation or its loss.
Very respectfully,
W. H. C. WHITING,
Brigadier-General.
Major-General HOLMES,
Commanding Aquia District, Virginia.
[Inclosure A.]
HEADQUARTERS CAMP FISHER, VIRGINIA,
March 7, 1862.The wagons will be hauled into the company parade grounds and the teams taken to the stables and fed.
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* See inclosure B.
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Page 531 | Chapter XIV. WITHDRAWAL OF CONFEDERATE FORCES. |