CHARLESTOWN, August 19,
1864—10.30 p.m.
Lieutenant-General GRANT:
All the information received to-day shows a large
concentration of the enemy at Winchester. I receive constant reports of the
passage of troops across to this Valley from Culpeper. I have taken the defensive
until their strength is more fully developed. They have made no attempt to pass
down the Valley to Martinsburg, which I hold with a small force of cavalry. If
they cross the Potomac they expose their rear and I will pitch into them. I
destroyed everything that was eatable south of Winchester, and they will have
to haul supplies from well up toward Staunton. Our loss at Winchester will be
about 200. Guerrillas give me great annoyance, but I am quietly disposing of
numbers of them. The enemy appears to be uncertain as to what course to pursue.
The intention so far as I can learn was to send a column direct from Culpeper
to the Potomac and Early to advance at the same time from Martinsburg. This was
frustrated by Early being compelled to fall back and your operations on the
north side of the James. I still think that two divisions of infantry have come
here and Fitz Lee's cavalry. My force will have to be weakened to supply the
place of the 100-days' men serving at Harper's Ferry and in West Virginia. Grover
has joined me. I now can calculate on bringing into action about 22,000 or
23,000 infantry and about 8,000 cavalry.
Respectfully,
P. H. SHERIDAN,
Major-General.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
43, Part 1 (Serial No. 90), p. 841
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