Today in History:

258 Series I Volume XXVII-III Serial 45 - Gettysburg Campaign Part III

Page 258 N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC. Chapter XXXIX.

hension with regard to my command. When the dispatch was written, I did not know that General Stahel's cavalry, or any other, was moving toward New Baltimore. I suppose your dispatch was written in reply to my suggestion of yesterday, that more cavalry should be sent here.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Major-General.


HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, Aldie, June 22, 1863-6. 35 p. m.

Brigadier General S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

GENERAL: I am directed by General Pleasonton, who is out in front, to request you to have a number of signal officers sent out to him. He thinks they might be made very useful in this country, and, if possible, would like to have them at once. He also directs me to say that the enemy followed us to-day in strong force, and that he thought it best to concentrate his force in a strong position. He has, therefore, withdrawn from Middleburg, and now occupies a position in advance of Dover, about 2 1/2 miles in front of this place. He has lost no men to-day. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. J. ALEXANDER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Headquarters Cavalry Corps, Aldie, June 22, 1863.

Brigadier General S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: I have the honor to state for the information of the commanding general that, in the various engagements in which my command has been since the 8th instant, it has lost very heavily in both men and horses, some 800 of the latter being killed and wounded, besides those that have been rendered unfit for service by the very hard labor to which they have been necessarily subjected, so that it will take at least 1, 500 horses to supply the losses of the last fourteen days. As an example of the reduction in numbers, I would state that, when the Reserve Brigade, consisting of the First, Second, Fifth, and Sixth U. S. and Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, went into action on the 21st instant, it only numbered 825 men, the remainder of the men of this brigade being either dismounted or at the mouth of the Monocacy with Captain McKee, who has or should have 1, 100 men. Under these circumstances, I have the honor to request that Captain McKee's command and all other effective men of this command may be ordered to join me at once, and that prompt measures may be taken to supply the number of horses that I need. I beg most respectfully to impress upon the commanding general the necessity of sending me re-enforcement, to supply the losses in battle and the withdrawal of the regiments with Generals Hancock and Slocum, in order that I may successfully engage the enemy, who, I have every reason to believe, has massed his whole cavalry force in my front. If it is deemed necessary that a force from this corps should remain


Page 258 N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC. Chapter XXXIX.