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 Duke University Libraries 
 
 Message of the 
 Conf Pam 12mo #766 
 
 
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 MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT, 
 
 Richmond, Ya., January 17, 1S63. 
 
 To the House of Representative : 
 
 I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of "War. 
 covering a copy of an official report recently made by Colonel Imbo- 
 dcn, asked for in a resolution of the House of Representatives, on the 
 l")th instant. 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, \ 
 
 War Department, 
 Richmond, Va., January 17, 1863. ) 
 
 His Excellency, The President : 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to enclose a copy of the official report recently 
 made by Colonel Imboden, in reference to the outrages perpetrated by 
 General Milroy, upon the patriotic people of the Northwestern and 
 Valley districts of Virginia, in response to a resolution of the House 
 of Representatives, adopted on the loth instant. 
 
 \ 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES A. SEDDON, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 

 REPORT OF rOLOXKI. [MBODEN. 
 
 Headq'rs C. S. Troops on Shenandoah Mountains, Va., \ 
 
 sember 9th, 1862. J 
 
 His Excellency, The President : 
 
 Sir : Day before yesterday, Mr. Job Parsons, a citizen of Tucker 
 county, in this State, personally well known to me as a man of the 
 highest respectability, came to this camp to enlist under my com- 
 mand. He was pursued by eight of the enemy's cavalry for many 
 miles, but his Buperior knowledge of the mountains enabled him to 
 elude his pursuers and escape. He handed me the enclosed original 
 papers, which had been "served upon" him by the military authori- 
 ties at St. George. A similar assessment was made on Mr. Parson's 
 father for $300, and on another relative for $700, and payment coerced 
 under the same diabolical throats. The pretext of " robberies of 
 Union men by bands of guerillas," is a falsehood. The fact is, that 
 / r nion men have conspired to run oft' each other's horses to Pennsylvania, 
 where they are secretly sold, the owners afterwards setting up a claim 
 for reparation on the false ground that "guerillas" have robbed 
 them. 
 
 I enclose this evidence of the atrocity of General Milroy, for such 
 action as your Excellency may deem expedient in retaliation, either 
 as a restraint upon this savage, or a punishment, should his horrible 
 threat ever be carried into execution. 
 
 This is only one of a thousand barbarities practiced here in these 
 distant mountains, of which I have almost daily heard lor the last four 
 months. Oh, for a day of retribution ! 
 
 With the highest respect. 
 
 Your obedient servant. 
 
 Signed,) JOHN D. IMBODEN, 
 
 Colonel commanding. 
 
(TRTHJRS OF GENERAL MILROY. 
 
 St. George, Tucker Co., West Va . 
 November 27th, 1862. 
 
 Mr. Joe Parsons, {son of Abraham) : 
 
 You are hereby ordered to report in person or by your representa- 
 tive, at my headquarters in St. George Court-House, on the 28th of 
 November, 18G2, to attend to business of vital importance to yourself. 
 And in case of your failure to comply with the above order, you must 
 suffer the penalty. 
 
 By order of Brigadier General R. H. Milroy. 
 
 (Signed,) Captain HORACE KELLOGG, 
 
 Post commandant. 
 
 St. George, Tucker Countv, Va., ^ 
 November 28th, 1862. 5 
 
 Mr. Job Parsons, {son of Abraham Parsons) : 
 
 Sir : In consequence of certain robberies which have been perpetra- 
 ted upon Union citizens of Tucker county, Va., by bands of guerillas, 
 you are hereby assessed to the amount of fourteen dollars and twenty- 
 five cents, ($14,25) to make good their losses; and upon your failure 
 to comply with the above assessment, by paying the money over to me 
 by the first day of December, 1862, the following order- will be exe- 
 cuted, viz : 
 
 " If they fail to pay at the end of the time you have named, their 
 houses will be burned and themselves shot y and their property all seized; 
 and be sure that you carry out this threat rigidly, and show them that 
 von are not trilling or to be trifled with. 
 
 "You will inform the inhabitants for tenor fifteen miles around 
 your camp, on all the roads approaching the town, upon which the 
 enemy may anproach, that they must dash in and give you notice, 
 and that upon failure of any one to do so, their houses will be burned 
 and the nen shot." 
 
 By order of Brigadier General R. II. Milroy. 
 
 (Signed,) Captain HORACE KELLOGG, 
 
 Commanding post. 
 
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