Hdqrs. Department of Northern Virginia,
August 8, 1862
Brig. Gen. R. S. Ripley,
Commanding Division:
General: You communication of this date has been received. As the position at the crossing of the White Oak Swamp on the Charles City road seems to be a good one, you can for the present keep the two regiments and a battery there. You must, at the same tie, picket strongly at the shops, as you propose to do. This will give you time to see if any change for the better can be made, or if a strong position farther down cannot be found.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R E Lee
General
Source: The War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 11, Part 3, p. 668
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2019 January 22
