GENERAL ORDERS, No. 20. HDQRS. DEPT. OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, I. Both banks of the Gauley and Kanawha Rivers and all that portion of this department lying south of them will, until further orders, constitute a district, to be called the District of the Kanawha, and will be commanded by Brig. Gen. J. D. Cox. The order creating the Kanawha Brigade is hereby revoked. II. That portion of the department lying south of the railroad, west of Cheat Mountain, including it, and extending southward to the District of the Kanawha, will constitute a district, to be called the Cheat Mountain District, to be commanded by Brigadier-General Milroy. III. The railroads in the department, with the posts on them, will constitute the Railroad District, to be commanded by BrigadierGeneral Kelley. By command of Brigadier-General Rosecrans : GEO. L. HARTSUFF, General S. WILLIAMS, HEADQUARTERS ARTILLERY RESERVE, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac : GENERAL: I have respectfully to call attention to the want of men in the batteries of the reserve. The number of companies present is seventeen; total strength required for seventeen batteries, 2,550. There are but thirteen batteries, two companies being united in four cases in the same battery. The number of men required for thirteen batteries is 1,950. The total number of enlisted men reported this morning as belonging to the companies, (including) 69 reported absent, is 1,435. To complete fully the thirteen batteries would therefore require 500 men; to complete the seventeen batteries 1,100 are required; from 400 to 1,000 men would probably answer. I respectfully urge that some means be taken to furnish recruits to these batteries. They are commanded many of them by experienced officers, and are supplied with old non-commissioned officers, whose services it is important to make available to the fullest extent. If special recruiting rendezvous cannot be established, recruits may possibly be obtained from the regiment of volunteers by discharging from the service those who are willing to re-enlist from the batteries, with a promise that they shall be discharged at the end of the war if they desire it. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY J. HUNT, Colonel, Commanding. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Wheeling, Va., December 24, 1861. Hon. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.: SIR: For some time past I have felt the necessity of altering the Military Department of Western Virginia at the dividing line between Virginia and Kentucky. There ought to be a separate division, embrac ing the waters of the Guyandotte River and all that part of Kentucky drained by the waters of the Big Sandy, or all of that part of Kentucky drained by the waters of the Big Sandy should be added to the Western Virginia Department-perhaps the latter would be the bestand assign a brigadier to that section, which has suffered somewhat for the want of a brigadier in the valley of the Sandy and Guyandotte, who would enforce better the administrative discipline of the army. For the efficiency of the army I think there ought to be two, if not three more brigadiers in Western Virginia, and there should be a majorgeneral in command of the division. Upon the subject of brigadiers, if it is the policy to appoint merely politicians, without reference to their military experience, I desire to claim the rights of Virginia in the appointments. If, however, the administration should decide to appoint from the Regular Army men of military education fit for the position, without reference to locality, I shall be satisfied, and would decidedly recommend that course. It is military knowledge and discipline that are going to make the army effective. With this view I would call your attention to Major Crawford and Captain Hartsuff, of the Regular Army. From a personal acquaintance with these men I am favorably impressed with them as men of large views and worthy of the consideration of the country. They have been in Western Virginia from the commencement of the war and are identified with us. They understand the wants and the necessities of the division. I have tried to inform myself of General Rosecrans' operations in Western Virginia, and I think the people are well satisfied with his management of the campaign. I have been unable to see where it could have been bettered, and would respectfully ask that he be ap pointed major-general of this division, and the whole western part of the State, with that part of Kentucky drained by the waters of the Big Sandy, be put in his division. Excuse me, sir, for making these suggestions. It is only my deep interest in the cause that urges me to this liberty. I am, yours, &c., F. H. PEIRPOINT. WASHINGTON, D. C., December 26, 1861. Brigadier-General MARCY, Chief of Staff: SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report upon the facili ties for passing troops across the Potomac at Harper's Ferry and Williamsport. I proceeded to Baltimore, had an interview with the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, who says the employés and such lumber as they have suitable for bridge building is at the service of the Government. The company has all the lumber necessary, and of suitable size for building. From Baltimore I proceeded to Sandy Hook, via Frederick City. I found the water low, now fordable, and upon careful inquiry find the river is not usually subject to rise at this season. It is my opinion that a serviceable flying bridge cannot be put in at this point, nor can sufficiently extensive ferries be established upon short notice. I would respectfully recommend a bridge supported upon canal-boats. Such a bridge can be best placed about 100 yards above the remains of the railroad bridge, to enter the arsenal yard through an opening in the arsenal wall. The bridge at this place will be about 800 feet long, requiring between twenty five and thirty boats, depending upon the length of the timbers used. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company have in their service 60 canal boats, and will have upon short notice the number required for a bridge at and near Sandy Hook. The lift-lock of the canal at Sandy Hook is in good order. The president of the railroad informed me that a sufficient number of ships' anchors to anchor the bridge can be procured in Baltimore. Such bridge can be constructed in a short time, be made very stable and serviceable for all purposes. A good ferry, supported upon flat-boats (a great many flat-boats can be found on the canal) across the Shenandoah, will be sufficient, as but a sinall number of men need be placed upon Loudoun Heights. I visited Williamsport also. There is now a ferry there capable of carrying the four-horse country wagons heavily loaded. A piece of light artillery or 125 men can be taken at once, and in about three minutes. It is held by a wire cable six-eighths or seven-eighths of an inch in size. An extensive ferry might be quietly established there by using flat-boats. Plank and light lumber can be found in sufficient quantity at Williamsport. This ferry can be worked by a cable or with poles. The river is now fordable at this place. I was also requested to give my opinion of the number of men sufficient to occupy Martinsburg. If Loudoun Heights are occupied by 400 or 500 infantry, Keys' Ferry (across the Shenandoah), with a like number of men and one or two pieces of artillery, I think a division sufficient to occupy Martinsburg, or if overwhelmed to make a safe retreat to Harper's Ferry. I would suggest that a strong detachment should be left at Charlestown to secure the rear. While such move is being made Winchester could be threatened by forces from Romney, and when Martinsburg is occupied a junction can be made with the troops at Hancock via Springfield. Harper's Ferry need be occupied by a garrison only. As it would be necessary to leave the artillery in position on the Maryland Heights, I think General Banks should be re-enforced by at least one or two batteries before making such move. I have the honor, general, to be your obedient servant, O. E. BABCOCK, Corps of Engineers. Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, FREDERICK, December 27, 1861-7.30 p. m. Assistant Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.: All is quiet. A scout from Virginia states that the enemy have retired to Winchester; 400 infantry at Martinsburg; 500 cavalry scouting the river; seven guns (34-pounders) in position at Winchester; one 54-pounder. General Jackson has about 7,000 men-4,000 volunteers, rest militia; twelve light guns, one rifled. Railroad iron of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad piled up at Charlestown and Halltown. Respectfully submitted. R. MORRIS COPELAND, SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. GENERAL BANKS' DIVISION, 1. The Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers will march as early as practicable to-morrow morning, January 6, for Williamsport, Md., carrying with it all its camp and garrison equipage, with two days' rations in haversacks. 2. The Third Brigade, Col. D. Donnelly commanding, will march immediately for Hancock, and report to Brigadier-General Lauder at that place as soon as possible. * By command of Major-General Banks: R. MORRIS COPELAND, HEADQUARTERS OF DIVISION, Brig. Gen. R. B. MARCY, Chief of Staff, &c.: SIR: It would not have occurred to me to have transmitted in extenso all the dispatches of General Lander from Hancock had he not requested it, nor should I have suggested to the Commanding General the idea of writing upon affairs at Hancock had I anticipated the instructions which passed through the office to-day. I have not thought it my duty to encourage General Lander's views in regard to our crossing the river. Had the event indicated in my instructions occurred, to wit, the passage of the Potomac by the enemy, the call would have been more imperative and reasonable; but we have thought from the first that he had no such purpose. All the features of the affair at Hancock resemble closely that at Williamsport when the attempt was made to destroy the dam, and seemed to be a cover for an attack upon the railway between Cumberland and Hancock. Unless the enemy had crossed the river, any attempt to intercept and cut him by our crossing would have been unsuccessful. From Bath to Winchester is but 30 miles, directly south, while the distance from our camp to any possible point of interception via Harper's Ferry or Shepherdstown would have been more than double the distance, with a difficult river to cross and recross, for which we had no adequate material. It would have resulted in almost certain failure to cut off the enemy, and brought an exhausted force into his presence to fight him in his strongholds at Winchester. In either case it promised no pcsitive prospect of success, nor did it exclude large chances of disaster. Every intelligent officer here familiar with the plans of the enemy and the features of the country confirmed this view of his ultimate purpose and the probable results of a forced passage of the river as suggested. I beg the Commanding General to believe that my division will face any possible danger cheerfully and manfully which our position demands, but I hesitate to put my command, without orders, upon a forced march for one purpose, without any certainty of success, when I know that without any agency of our own, and by the natural course of events, it may be changed to another fruitful disaster. Such was the course of events at Ball's Bluff. It began in a reconnaissance and ended in a battle, for which our friends were not prepared. And such I feared might be the case should we suddenly cross the river to cut off the re treat of the enemy, and find ourselves unexpectedly obliged to flee before him or fight him in his intrenchments. In view of the harassing policy adopted by the enemy, it seems to be necessary to keep a stronger force than hitherto on the important points of the river. The forced marches we are obliged to make, without any real service, discourage and demoralize the troops, and greatly weaken the division for any sudden emergency. We have now but four smoothbore 6-pounder guns with the division. The others are at different points of the river, where they seemed to absolutely required on account of threatened movements of the enemy. I should be glad to know if, by any combination of events we should be compelled to move suddenly, I might be permitted to call on General Dix or General Stone for assistance in artillery. I beg permission to suggest, in addition to the observations contained in a former letter upon the reconstruction of the road, that until we hold so much of the country through which it passes as to enable us to protect the whole, it will avail but little to attempt the reconstruction of any part of it. I can only add to the suggestions then made my belief, formed upon recent events, that the enemy will resist with all its power the reopening of the road. This does not change my opinion as to its practicability. It demands, however, that we should undertake the work at our own time and with full preparation, and especially that we should avoid being drawn into this country by adventitious circumstances, promising no certain good, and having no connection and offering no support to the great work in contemplation. I hope for the full and speedy recovery of the Commanding General. That he may soon regain his strength, and not allow the impatience of Congress or of the people to move him from the development of his material plans for one moment, is the earnest wish of one who wishes well to his country and the commander of its forces. With much respect, I am, your obedient servant, N. P. BANKS, Major-General, Commanding Division. HEADQUARTERS HOOKER'S DIVISION, Camp Baker, Lower Potomac, Maryland, January 8, 1862. Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac : I have reason to believe that the rebel force in my front has been considerably reduced within the last two days. At the time the last deserters came in to my camp (January 3), there were six encampments visible from this side of the river; now I can see but two. Not knowing but the smoke of their camps might be concealed from their new mode of encamping, which is that of excavating tenements on the side of the hills, directions were given to my pickets to observe their reveille and tattoo calls, and they report to me that they can hear but those of two regiments. I therefore conclude that some of the regiments have been removed. Long before daylight this morning a heavy cannonade was heard to the south, which turns out to have proceeded from two or three vessels of the second division of the flotilla off Aquia Creek. I am informed that they were engaged in shelling a rebel camp, but as it was done in |