“You are hereby directed to proceed to-morrow morning at 7 o’clock with the two brigades of your division now in camp to the east side of the Blue Ridge via Ashby’s Gap, and operate against the guerillas in the district of country bounded on the south by the line of the Manassas Gap Railroad as far east as White Plains, on the east by the Bull Run range, on the west by the Shenandoah River, and on the north by the Potomac.  This section has been the hot-bed of lawless bands, who have, from time to time, depredated upon small parties on the line of army communications, on safeguards left at houses, and on all small parties of our troops.  Their real object is plunder and highway robbery.  To clear the country of these parties that are bringing destruction upon the innocent as well as their guilty supporters by their cowardly acts, you will consume and destroy all forage and subsistence, burn all barns and mills and their contents, and drive off all stock in the region the boundaries of which are above described.  This order must be literally executed, bearing in mind, however, that no dwellings are to be burned and that no personal violence be offered to the citizens.  The ultimate results of the guerilla system of warfare is the total destruction of all private rights in the country occupied by such parties.  This destruction may as well commence at once, and the responsibility of it must rest upon the authorities at Richmond, who have acknowledged the legitimacy of guerilla bands.  The injury done this army by them is very slight.  The injury they have indirectly inflicted upon the people and upon the rebel army may be counted by millions.  The Reserve Brigade of your division will move to Snickersville on the 29th.  Snickersville should be your point of concentration, and the point from which you should operate in destroying toward the Potomac.  Four days’ subsistence will be taken by the command.  Forage can be gathered from the country through which you pass.  You will return to your present camp, via Snicker’s Gap, on the 5th day.”

In addition to Merritt’s three brigades, Colonel Stagg was ordered to send out four regiments.

[39]"The Federals separated into three parties, one of which went along the Bloomfield road and down Loudoun in the direction of the Potomac; another passed along the Piedmont pike to Rectortown, Salem, and around to Middleburg, while the main body kept along the turnpike to Aldie, where they struck the Snickersville pike.  Thus they scoured the country completely from the Blue Ridge to the Bull Run Mountains.

“From Monday afternoon, November 28th, until Friday morning, December 2nd, they ranged through the beautiful Valley of Loudoun and a portion of Fauquier county, burning and laying waste.  They robbed the people of everything they could destroy or carry off—­horses, cows, cattle, sheep, hogs, etc.; killing poultry, insulting women, pillaging houses, and in many cases robbing even the poor negroes.