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537 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 537 Chapter LVIII. OPERATIONS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.

to learn anything of late occurrence. Aside from some half dozen scouts at Woodstock and a party of some fifteen guerrillas, who fired into my rear guard to-day at Newton, I saw none of the enemy.

I am, general, very respectfully, &c.,

WM. RUSSELL, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Brevet Major-General TORBERT,

Chief of Cavalry.


Numbers 11. Report of Captain Henry C. Inwood, One hundred and sixty-fifth New York Infantry, of operations March 29.

OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL, U. S. TROOPS, MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION,

Stephen's Station, March 29, [1865].

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that at 4.30 p. m. the 28th instant, I received instructions from the general commanding to take the headquarters cavalry escort and go along the Martinsburg pike a few miles, and try and overtake and capture some guerrillas who had been reported as committing depredations upon the Union citizens. After proceeding about two miles from our pickets, upon inquiry, I learned they had stopped at the yellow house (Mr. Clendenning occupant), had entered, found them very poor, had taken some food, and passed on toward Bunker Hill; they also stopped at Mrs. Payne's house and took some food. She afterward missed one of her horses, but does not think the rebels took it (mrs. Payne is a rebel sympathizer). They stopped at nearly all the houses and took overcoats, blankets, and food. They stopped all passengers on the road, and robbed several of them of all their money and valuables; among them were Mr. J. Jackson and Mr. Light. Some citizens coming from the direction of Martinsburg they robbed and turned back. On arriving at Bunker Hill the guerrillas entered the house and store of the postmaster, took all his money from him, and the mail; also some leather and other articles from the store. They obtained food from the citizens and robbed Mr. Rickers' mill for their horses; they took a horse from one of the citizens at Bunker Hill, and horse equipments from travelers on the road. The question of loyalty was not spoken of by any of the guerrillas; plunder seems to have been the object of their raid. At Bunker hill I learned that there were twenty-six of them, commanded by Lieutenant Russell; they passed as Mosby's men and part of Rosser's command of 500, aggregate distributed through Clarke and Jefferson Counties in bands not exceeding fifty each.

Judging that Smithfield was their rendezvous, we pushed on, but on arriving there found that they had taken the Charlestown road at 4.30 p. m.; they had made a stay of one hour at Smithfield and nearly that at Bunker Hill. Finding there was no probability of overtaking them, and having but a small force (twenty-eight men), I ordered the return to camp, taking back roads and coming in by way of Brucetown, arriving in camp at 12 p. m., having traveled a distance of twenty-five miles.

The citizens are very much frightened, and several able-bodied men had run away on their approach, supposing them to be a conscripting party. This information I received from a lady in Smithfield, whose


Page 537 Chapter LVIII. OPERATIONS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.