War Date Autograph Letter Signed

Extremely rare field orders instructing General Richard S. Ewell to move his troops for a military strike during Stonewall Jackson's legendary 1862 Shenandoah Valley campaign!

Includes Ewell's handwritten response to Jackson!

7 1/4 x 9 1/2, in ink.

Conrad Store
near Swift Run Gap
2:20 P.M., April 20, 1862

General,

Since writing my dispatch this morning I have received another from you. The position I wish you to encamp at tomorrow evening (Monday) is at the intersection of the road from Orange C.H. to Stannardsville with the road from Gordonsville to Madison C.H. This will place you within two days march of either Swift Run Gap or Fishersville Gap. You had better have five days rations with you. At last accounts the enemy had not entered Harrisonburg. The move on Fredericksburg was probably designed to prevent reinforcements being sent to me.

Very respectfully,
T.J. Jackson
Maj. Genl.

Maj. Gen. R.S. Ewell

At the upper portion of the reverse is written and signed for Ewell by one of his adjutant's the following message:

"More than that as I believe from Fisher's Gap and as my teams &c, &c, will be kept in better order I would recommend that I be left at G.[ordonsville] until the time you decide my movements either to F.[ishersville] Gap or Swift R.[un] Gap. In addition the road from the point you designate to Stannardsville is represented as very bad at this time, nearly impassable. Please let me hear from you at G[ordonsville] as soon as possible. I cannot possibly move before tomorrow.

Yours, &c
(signed) R.S. Ewell
M.[ajor] G.[eneral]


At the lower portion of the reverse is the following autograph note signed in General Ewell's hand:

"One element in the above p[aragraph] is that I go to the R.R. should I be recalled towards R.[ichmond]. I will send another express this afternoon from G.[ordonsville] & leave one at Stannardsville to best manner from G.[ordonsville] to M.[adison] C.H. 20 miles, thence to F.[ishersville] Gap 15 or 16.

R.S. Ewell
M.[ajor] G.[eneral].

Very fine, on light blue lined letter sheet with typical intersecting folds. Extremely rare and desirable!

The Shenandoah Valley campaign showed off Stonewall Jackson's genius as a tactician, and it is considered one of the most brilliant operations in military history.

Historically significant and auto-graphically an extremely rare original handwritten tactical order from General Stonewall Jackson, one of the Confederacy's greatest generals, from the campaign that made him a legend.