Today in History:

498 Series I Volume XXXVII-II Serial 71 - Monocacy Part II

Page 498 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XLIX.

ported to have been this side of the Blue Ridge, west of Leesburg, yesterday, with one pieces of artillery. There are no troops about Aldie, except occasional bands of strolling guerrillas, and these are few. There are no troops of any account reported at Culpeper, nor anywhere along the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Early's headquarters were at Millword, fifteen miles north of Manassas Gap, on Wednesday morning, and his command in that neighborhood. The rebels are said to have several of the mills at Millwood in operation, grinding up wheat and grain. Trains are running, one daily, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, as far as Culpeper.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. M. LAZELLE,

Colonel Sixteenth N. Y. Vol. Cav., Commanding Cav. Brigadier

HARPER'S FERRY, July 29, 1864.

(Received 10. 30 a. m.)

His Excellency A. LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

I have found it necessary to dismiss, summarily, a number of officers for drunkenness, cowardice, and general incapacity and worthlessness. These dismisalls have been made with due consideration, and under circumstances which made immediate action essential to the organization and efficiency of my command. Several of these officers have, by their utter worthlessness and habitual inattention to their duties, brought their commands into a disgraceful state of inefficiency and demoralization. After the late battle at Winchester a number of them were arrested and confined in the guard-house at Hagerstown; where they were found fugitives from their commands, causing panic among the troops, and creating needless alarm in the country be extravagant and false statements in regard to the army; this at a time when the army to which they belonged had successfully checked the pursuing enemy at Martinsburg, twenty miles distant. Let me beg, therefore, that Your Excellency will approve my action in these cases, and support me in my endeavors to maintain the necessary discipline and efficiency of this army.

D. HUNTER,

Major-General.

CAMDEN STATION, Baltimore, July 29, 1864.

(Received 2. 10 p. m.)

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

In response to my inquiry whether the report of the destruction of Back Creek bridge was correct, General Kelley telegraph [July 28, 11 p. m.] as follows:

A rebel force of infantry, 1,000 strong, on the 26th attacked the guard at Back Creek, overpowered it, and set fire to the bridge. The iron-clads narrowly escaped capture. The enemy then retreated toward Martinsburg. The road is all right west of Back Creek. If the army below soon moves on the enemy I can prevent any further damage.

B. F. KELLEY,

Brigadier-General.


Page 498 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XLIX.