1862 October 20 Staunton, Va.

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

Monday, Oct. 20, 1862.

A rumor this morning that Bragg has been defeated
in Kentucky, and has fallen back to Cumberland
Gap — very different from previous intelligence. —
Reported yesterday that the enemy, 200,000 strong,
had crossed the Potomac — nothing of it to- day. Loring
is said to be on the way to join Lee. Troops still
going down the Valley. We see in the Richmond
Dispatch a letter giving an account of recent mur-
ders in Missouri by the Federalists. Among the persons
said to have been killed is a brother
of Mr. Stuart (S. D.), Robert Stuart
of Saline county. The last unfav-
orable accounts from Kentucky have
come here in this way: Richardson
came up from Richmond last night
and says a clerk in one
of the offices informed him Sat-
urday night that the intelligence
alluded to had been received by
the Department, and the Tele-
graph operator here says he has received similar news.
It is probable that in a second fight which was antici-
pated after our first successes, we were defeated and had
to retreat.

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258