Irvin McDowell to Ephraim R. Anderson, May 18, 1862
Brig. Gen, Jos—EPH R. ANDERSON, Commanding near Massaponaz :
GENERAL: I have just received your communication of this date. It was only today I heard of the death to which you refer. It gave me great pain, and I assure you it is with real distress I cannot find it consistent with my duty to grant your request for Dr. Lyons to return after passing through my lines. He may come within them and go to Mrs. Scott’s and bring her and her family to Fredericksburg, if that will in any way be agreeable to them and him, and I will see he has safe conduct in doing so; but more than this I am unable to grant. I regret to have detained your aidede-camp so long and to have put him to some unnecessary inconvenience. It grew out of the negligence or ignorance of my troops.
I have the Sica to be, general,
very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
Major-General, Commanding.
The witness stated that reply was sent at the time of its date, and is
recorded in the book of letters kept at the headquarters. (The book
The witness here submitted a second letter, dated May 19, 1862, from
the same commander to Major-General McDowell, which was read by
the recorder as follows, and is appended to the proceedings and