[
655]
Appendix to Chapter XXV.
Sheridan's strength in the campaign in the Valley of Virginia, 1864.
General Sheridan to Adjutant-General of the army.
General: I have the honor to forward as complete a field return as is possible at the present time.
The most strenuous exertions are being made by me to obtain a full return, but the difficulty in obtaining such from the
commanding officer, Department of West Virginia, because of his command covering so great an extent of country, has so far prevented.
The enclosed return does not include the cavalry under
Averill, about 2,500, or the troops of the Department of Washington,
Susquehanna, or Middle.
I simply forward it you as a statement showing the number of men for duty south of the
Potomac.
Hoping soon to furnish complete all reports required,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Field return of troops in the field belonging to the Middle military division, September 10, 1864.
Present for duty.
| troops. | officers. | Enlisted. | aggregate. |
| 6th Army Corps, Infantry | 668 | 12,028 | 12,696 |
| Artillery | 22 | 626 | 648 |
| 19th Army Corps, Infantry | 660 | 12,150 | 12,810 |
| Artillery | 7 | 208 | 215 |
| Army of West Virginia, Infantry | 806 | 6,834 | 7,140 |
| Artillery | 12 | 855 | 367 |
| Cavalry (Torbert's) | 339 | 6,126 | 6,465 |
| Artillery | 7 | 346 | 358 |
| Military District Harper's Ferry | 204 | 4,611 | 4,815 |
| —— | —— | —— |
| 2,208 | 43,284 | 45,487 |
[
656]
This return is the only one made by
Sheridan to the
Adjutant-General prior to the
battle of Winchester; and, as it was accompanied by a statement of its incompleteness, I applied to his Headquarters for a return of his effective strength, but, owing to the loss of all his papers in the
Chicago fire, I was unable to obtain either the numbers or organizations detached from his army south of the
Potomac.
It was stated, however, that the garrisons of
Harper's Ferry,
Charleston,
Martinsburg, and other points, together with escorts to trains, were of sufficient size to reduce the force in the field to the numbers given in
Sheridan's report to
Grant, which were taken at the time from the official returns of effective or fighting strength present for duty.
But as these returns were never sent to
Washington, and were destroyed as above stated, it was impossible to furnish copies of them.
At
Grant's Headquarters it was always understood that
Sheridan's effective force in the
Valley campaign was about thirty thousand men.
—Author.
