Unknown to Samuel Cooper, July 18, 1861

General S. CooPER:

GENERAL: I have had the honor to receive your telegram of yesterday.

General Patterson, who had been at Bunker Hill since Monday, seems to have moved yesterday to Charlestown, twenty-three miles to the east of Winchester.

Unless he prevents it, we shall move toward General Beauregard today. Iam compelled to leave the sick and most of the baggage for want of means of transportation. There are wagons enough to carry but four days’ provisions, but the urgency of the case seems to me to justify a risk of hunger. Iam delayed by provision for the care of the sick.

I leave General Carson here with two brigades of Virginia militia, with orders to fall back if the enemy should approach in force.

Respectfully, &c.,