To Mary Milroy From RH Milroy April 26 1862

              Monteray, W. Va. 
                                            Apl. 26th 1862 
My Dear Mary, 
                           Having a little leisure this 
evening I seized it to let you hear from me. 
I believe I wrote you last from Allegany 
Summit.  I left there on the 8th inst with a 
portion of my forces & came on here.  It comm.- 
enced raining & snowing together on the 7th & cont- 
inued without intermission for 4 days.  The rain froze 
as it fell & the mountains & valleys presented forests 
of ice, which continued to accumulate on the tree limbs 
& saplings & bent & broke them so that the road 
was in many places filled up.  My pickets 
kept skirmishing with those of the enemy from 
the time I arrived here until Saturday the 12th when 
my pickets were again attacked about 4 miles out 
& the officer in command sent me in a note 
stating that a heavy force was pressing him in & 
requesting reinforcements.  Supposing that Johnson 
was returning with his whole force to try to drive 
me out.  I placed all forces in battle order 
on this side of the valley which is about a mile 
wide – high mountains on each side. Sent out 
three companies of skirmishers to relieve my 
pickets & pepper the advance of the reble column