Today in History:

533 Series I Volume XLIII-II Serial 91 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign Part II

Page 533 Chapter LV. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC. - UNION.

CITY POINT, VA., November 3, 1864.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

The troops sent to New York have been selected by Generals Terry and Weitzel, and they say have taken the most reliable men of their corps. There are several New York regiments among those going, a thing I wished to avoid, but I suppose they had to be selected to fulfill the other conditions of their orders. Lack of transportation here will delay their reaching New York as soon as I would have liked, but to prevent any further delay than can be avoided I have ordered the troops as far as Fortress Monroe on the river transportation to meet the ocean steamers there, and avoid the necessity of the latter running to this place.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

NOVEMBER 3, 1864.

Lieutenant-Colonel KINGSBURY,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Middle Military Division:

COLONEL: I have the honor to recommend that Colonel G. M. Love, now commanding the One hundred and sixteenth New York, may be made brevet brigadier-general, for distinguished and conspicuous gallantry in all the late battles in this Valley. He is the officer sent to Washington the other day with flags. His name has heretofore been sent in with a list of others, but his services are required to command a brigade, and he has not now got the rank.

I have the honor to be,&c.,

W. H. EMORY,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADIER, SECOND DIV., 19TH ARMY CORPS, Near Cedar Creek, November 3, 1864.

Major DUNCAN S. WALKER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Nineteenth Army Corps:

SIR: I have the honor to report that, as corps officer of the day, I visited the pickets and reserves of this corps about 4 o'clock this morning. I was accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Ilsley, Second Division officer of the day, and Lieutenant Wilson, of my brigade staff. I found the First and Second Brigades, First Division, and the First Brigade, Second Division, doing their duty very creditably. The Third Brigade, First Division, had small fires upon their posts; otherwise, they were doing duty very fairly. The Second Brigade, Second Division, had no fires upon their posts, but at the time I arrived their reserves were not under arms nor the pickets deployed. We rode between their posts and into their reserves without being challenged, or, in fact, hardly noticed. The Third Brigade of the Second Division had fires on their posts, and we rode between the posts without challenge, and coming from the direction of the vedette we made prisoners of the two men on post, one being asleep, the other without arms. Passing ourselves off for Confederates, we gained in a whisper a full knowledge of position of the line of picket-posts and reserves, and the number of men in the reserve. These men belonged to the One hundred and seventy-sixth New York, and were Germans, with but a poor knowledge of the English language, and had but little of what their duty was. Lieutenant-Colonel


Page 533 Chapter LV. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC. - UNION.