Rumors of the approach of a great army under Lee from
eastern Virginia are still rife. The enemy is said to be near Monterey, the
other side of the Alleghanies and aiming to come in this direction to reoccupy
western Virginia, capture our stores, and to dash the war if possible into
Ohio. The United States ought promptly to push into western Virginia an army of
at least fifty thousand men to repel any such attack if made and to push on to
the railroad leading from Richmond southwesterly through Lynchburg towards east
Tennessee. This would cut off Richmond from the southwestern States and be
otherwise useful. Horsemen and waggons are now passing towards Bulltown. This
is the hottest day yet; it must rain before night.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 58
No comments:
Post a Comment