Hd. Ar. Cav. Brigade
Purcellville, Oct 31. 2.15 P.M.
To General R. B. Marcy-
  Chief of Staff-
Gneral, our dispatch of 10.30
a.m. marked sent 11.45, is rec’d–
   I have sent an Aid to over=
take General Bayard with a
dispatch communicating the
instructions of the General, &
to save time, have requested
General Bayard to state the
direction he thinks proper to
move where I will immediately
join him-I told my aid
to inform him, verbally, my strength
that he might form some
estimate of the entire force–
      The enemy have some
Cavalry in this valley, but
as long as they keep a signal
station on the blue ridge-
they see every movement I
can make & avoid it–

[page 2]
I have three squandrons out
to day reconnoitering the Blue
Ridge for roads & positions relative
to Snickersville, & feeling the enemy.
  From all I can learn they
have both Ashby’s & Snicker
Gaps covered by troops & we
cannot get to the top of the
mountain to see the other side
for their signal informs them &
they meet us at every point–
   To see into the valley beyond
we shall probably have to go beyond
Ashby & doubtless there they have
a signal–It will be necessary
to leave some cavalry on this
line to cover the front–
      General Bayard may decide
to move on Snickersville
             Very respectfully
                 A. Pleasonton
                   Brig. General
                      Comdg

MSS 495

Hd. Ar. Cav. Brigade
Purcellville Oct 31. 2. P.M.
To General Bayard
     Commanding Cavalry
General
              A dispatch from Gen-
McClellan dated 10.30 this morning
says “the General would like to
have a cavalry reconnaissance
in force with your command
& mine united, for the purpose
of ascertaining where the enemy
is in force and which direc=
tion he is moving, but he did
not desire to have a battle
brought on–Should you however
find a force of the enemy’s
cavalry in such position that
you can attack to advantage
of course you are authorized
to do so-without running any
great risk to your own com=
mand–General Bayard
should wait in the vicinity
further orders before going back
towards Washington-“
                                    (over)

[page 2]
Shall we make an attempt
at Snickersvlle or do you think
we would do better by going
towards Ashby’s Gap?
    My aid will Tell you my
strength from which you can
judge with yours what we can
do-
       I am, General, very respectfully
                    A. Pleasonton
                        Brig. General
                             Comdg. Cav. Brigade

MSS 495

Hd. Qr. Cav. Brigade
Purcellville, Oct 31. 4. P.M.
To General R. B. Marcy
     Chief of Staff.

General,
                 One of my squadrons has
returns & reports having driven
in the enemies pickets on the
Snickerville & Aldie Pike–capturing
two carbines & two sabres the
rebels dropped in their haste–they
took to the mountains–several
Union men told the party that
Stewart with his cavalry & four
pieces of artillery crossed last
night into this valley & took
the road to Union —He left
twelve pieces of artillery in
the Gap–Some of Stuarts
men said they were going
round towards Leesburg—-
   The party report the Snicker
Gap, from what they saw of it
as a much rougher one than
the South Mountain–
    They also report a force

[page 2]
on the mountain,watching
the Trap road, some five
miles south of Snickersville
        Bayards scouts ought
to hear something of Stuart today-
      The Quakers still report
a rebel force on the other side
of the Mountain opposite
Snickersville–
        Very respectfully
            A. Pleasonton
             Brig. General
              Comd’g.

MSS 495

                  Plantsville Ala
                  November 8 1864

Hon Jos. Wheeler
    Augusta Ga

            Dear Sir,
                       Pursuant to in-
structions from the General I
send a pocket book the pro-
perty of Lt Meade, taken from
his person after his decease.
Please acknowledge the re-
ceipt of it wither to the General
or myself.  I trust your health
is good.
    Very Respfy Your Obt Servant
                  & friend
                       Wm E. Waites[?]

[on verso]
                 Memorandum
1 Pocket Book
2 Gold Ring
10 in new currency
Sundry Papers taken from the
body of Lt mead, Killed in battle
in front of Resaca on the
14th May 1864

MSS 4966-b

                     Hd Qrs U. S Forces
                     Martinsburg Va
                            Oct 19th 1863

Guards & Pickets
                            Pass Mrs Anna
M. Chambers to Hagerstown Md
on her way to the north.
also one Hat Box and
one Carpet Bag–

                                 [S?] B. Pierce
                                                 Col Comd–

MSS 4966-b

[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]

Friday 31st  Mrs Campbell spent the day with us & in the afternoon
Mrs Phillips called–Mr John Walker set us down nearly
two dozen hot rolls for tea, very acceptable, & a basket of nice
apples–I wrote Liz & sent off a pr of drawers to Tom by express
to go by Noah

MSS 6960

[from the diary of John Ward of the 102nd Pennsylvania]

Oct 31st
March at 4 oclock
thes morning on for
Bonsbroo   Pass thau [through]
Bonsbro to one
mile on the other
sidy of Bornvillie
and camp for
the Night there   [Written in the left margin: “M 20”]

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12913

[from the diary of John Ward, of the 102nd Pennsylvania]
[Ward has two entries in his diary dated October 31; this one may be a misdate as it precedes entries for the 26th through the 30th of October]

Oct 31st
Whe in Camp Nere
The Batle grawn [ground]
of antedays [word lined out]
return the
mountains

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12913

[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]

     Oct. 31st, ’62.
Started at 6 A.M.
Marched hard un-
til 2 P.M. when we
encamped about
five miles from
Glasgow; stopping
soon on account
of water.
     Robert Reynolds,
a member of my
company, died
very suddenly to-
day, at 11 ¼  A.M. in
an ambulance.
We buried him
this evening near
our camp in a
private burial
ground.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson  Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, former musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]

Friday, Oct. 31, 1862

Helped with the
apple butter the boys
at work plowing at the
pond.  Father came to
Spoffords  Mother & I
went to Ashland
Met Alf went with
him to Sawyer Smiths
to see  Fulkerson & Arthur
Bought shirt for
$2.00 bugy broke down
as we were leaving
town  Mother went home
with Leonards I brought
the bugy up to Carters
rather tedious job
Clear fine day

MSS 10317