Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
March 5, 1862

Report of Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams, U. S. Army.
HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, BUNKER HILL, VA.,
March 6, 1862:10 a. m.

MAJOR: I reported yesterday afternoon my arrival here. We found a small picket of cavalry and a few infantry, several of whom were taken:furloughed men:who probably preferred being captured. I send them forward this morning to Provost-Marshal Andrews.

The information I get from Winchester is that Jackson is being considerably re-enforced, some say very strongly; that the slopes of the hills west of Winchester are strongly intrenched[sic] with rifle-pits and several earthworks with heavy gnus. The works near the railroad southeast of Winchester you are probably well advised of. Jackson, Loring, and Kirby Smith are said to be at or near Winchester, but it does not seem possible to get any reliable information of number of troops. A good many of the Virginia militia are home on furlough. One man recently in Winchester reports Jackson as saying that he left Winchester once to whip us at Manassas, and now he is going to do the same for us here unless these intrenchments[sic] are very strong. I trust he will prove a false prophet. General Shields I knew was at Martinsburg after I left yesterday. I could get nothing reliable about the position of his command. I doubt if it has left Paw Paw. I should like some written action of future movements, especially with reference to my supply trains.

It takes over an hour to pass four wagons over the river, including getting in and off boats. I may appear over-anxious on this point, but its importance I regard as paramount. I find the Twelfth Massachusetts and Twelfth Indiana and First Maryland without tents. They are pretty comfortably placed in barns and public buildings here.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. S. WILLIAMS,
Brigadier-General.

Major COPELAND, Assistant Adjutant-General, Charlestown

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: March 1862