HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Brig. Gen. C. M. THRUSTON, U. S. A., Cumberland, Md., via Grafton, Va.: Organize and dispatch a detachment of troops from those nearest at hand to protect the North and South Branch Bridges, with other parts of the Baltimore and Ohio road within easy reach of Cumberland. Brigadier-General Lander will be sent to take general direction of the service in that quarter, with other instructions and troops for the same object. The greatest expedition is required in this first movement from Cumberland. The agent of the road will be instructed to give you all advice and assistance in his power. If time permit, call for any necessary detachment of troops from New Creek, or even Grafton, to save the bridges of the road. WINFIELD SCOTT. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA, Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Commanding Army of Potomac : GENERAL: I have received the letter of Mr. James Hubbard, of Laurel, Del., in regard to the rebel force at Jenkins' Bridge, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I think he estimates the rebel force in Accomac County too high. I think it nearer 2,500 than 4,500. In the two counties (Accomac and Northampton) there may be from 4,000 to 5,000 in the different camps. I think two infantry regiments, a battery of light artillery, and two companies of cavalry would break up and disperse the entire force. They have received some arms lately, from what quarter it is very difficult to say. It is extremely desirable to have a decided demonstration of force in that direction by the 1st of November. The election in this State comes off on the 6th, and our Union friends in the lower counties are disheartened and in danger of being overawed by the influence of these rebel organizations on the secessionists in those counties. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN A. DIX, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA, Col. R. B. MARCY, Inspector-General, Army of the Potomac : COLONEL: It has occurred to me that it might be interesting to you to know the system adopted in Baltimore to secure the inhabitants from annoyance by the bad conduct of our soldiers and to keep our men within their encampments. A few days after I took command, the latter part of July, some 300 of our men had escaped from their regiments, and were disgracing the service by their drunkenness and disorderly conduct in the city, where most of them were secreted. I immediately issued an order to the police to arrest all soldiers found in Baltimore without passes signed by the captains of the companies and the colonels of the regiments to which they belonged, and I adopted very stringent rules in regard to permits to soldiers to leave their camps. In about ten days the ab sentees were all hunted up in the streets and in their hiding places and brought back to their regiments. Since that time there has been no repetition of these disorderly scenes. All soldiers arrested in the city are taken to the exterior stations of the police, and guards_are sent for them every morning and evening. During the month of September, of about 7,000 men in and around the city, only 140 were taken in custody by the police, and of this number 59 belonged to the Second Regiment Maryland Volunteers, which was recruited in Baltimore. The city has never been so free from disorder, disturbance, and crime as it has been during the last sixty days, and during the whole time not a single soldier has been employed in aid of the police. Much is no doubt due to the presence of a military force, and it is due to the regiments under my command to say that the orderly conduct both of officers and men has produced an improved feeling among large num bers of citizens who have been exceedingly hostile to the Government. I may say this most emphatically of the Sixth Regiment Michigan Volunteers and the eighth ward, the most disloyal in the city, within which the regiment is stationed, at the McKim mansion. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN A. DIX, Major-General, Commanding. WASHINGTON, D. C., October 22, 1861. General S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: GENERAL: Circumstances preventing a circumstantial report to-day of the number of men required for the garrisons of the defenses of Washington, we respectfully present the following summary, with the intention of giving another report to-morrow or as soon as practicable: For full garrisons of works of exterior line south side of Potomac.... 5,952 230 Garrisons of works at Chain Bridge... Total garrisons south of Potomac.. 6,545 1,500 Total Reserves in city.... Total...... For three reliefs of gunners for all the works south of the Potomac.... Total garrisons considered necessary for all the works...... For reserves sonth of Potomac from Fort Lyon to Fort Corcoran.. Reserve at Chain Bridge... The full garrisons of the works north of Potomac would amount to 9,000 men. The above estimate is based on the supposition that in all ordinary circumstances it would be only necessary to supply them with men enough to man the guns. Respectfully submitted. WILLIAM F. BARRY, Brigadier-General, Chief of Artillery. J. G. BARNARD, Brigadier-General, and Chief Engineer. *See Williams to Barnard, October 18, p. 622, and supplementary report, October 24, p. 626. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Brig. Gen. B. F. KELLEY, Grafton, W. Va.: Proceed with your command to Romney and assume command of the Department of Harper's Ferry and Cumberland until the arrival of Brigadier-General Lander. WINFIELD SCOTT. WASHINGTON, October 23, 1861. Brigadier-General ROSECRANS, U. S. A., Camp Tompkins, W. Va.: Your telegram of 18th received and is satisfactory. Report of Carnifix also received. All your operations meet entire approval of the General. Subject of Ohio not yet decided. General Kelley's command has been ordered to Romney, in a new department. E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. CAMP NEAR BUDD'S FERRY, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit to you a few lines this evening. I went this morning to Stump Neck (directly opposite Cockpit Point), from which point I could see Freestone Point, Shipping Point, and intermediate places. At Freestone and Cockpit Points are embankments on side hills, the former perhaps 100 and the other 50 feet above the water, but there are no guns or men visible. Midway between Cockpit and Shipping Points is a heavy mortar, mounted on a side hill. The three batteries mentioned in a former report are farther down the river than the mortar. From that point of view I could see guns pointing up the river from Eastport, which were hidden from my view when at Budd's Ferry. While at Stump Neck there arrived a steamer with a rebel flag flying, and known to be the Geo. Page, which was kept at the mouth of Aquia Creek by the vessels of our fleet. The arrival of this vessel affords the rebels the means of landing troops and artillery across the river to this or a higher point. If large forces are sent across above Mattawoman Creek, or even to Stump Neck, this detachment may be entirely cut off. Colonel commanding the troops here has thus decided to move to near Mattawoman, where the road crosses it. In the mean time a strong cavalry outpost is to remain here to watch the rebels, and I shall prosecute my work of ascertaining the width of the river, &c., as if the command were to remain here, unless interrupted by the enemy crossing. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. S. WILLIAMSON, Captain, U. S. Topographical Engineers. *Not found. 40 R R-VOL V SPECIAL ORDERS,} HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, 10. Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, volunteer service, will establish his headquarters, for the present, at Aunapolis, Md., and will assemble at that point the troops under his command. By command of Major-General McClellan: S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. ARLINGTON, October 24, 1861. General McDoWELL, Eighteenth and Q Streets: The following just received from General McClellan : The affair in front of Leesburg, on Monday last, resulted in serious loss to us, but was a most gallant fight on the part of our men, who displayed the utmost coolness and courage. It has given the utmost confidence in them. The disaster was caused by errors committed by the immediate commander, not General Stone. I have withdrawn all the troops from the other side, since they went without my orders and nothing was to be gained by retaining them there. JAMES B. FRY, Assistant Adjutant-General. WASHINGTON, D. C., October 24, 1861. General S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: GENERAL: In our report of the 22d instant we stated the number of men we deemed necessary for garrisons and reserves "for the various works in and about Washington to satisfy the conditions of a good defense." It seems proper to exhibit more clearly the grounds on which our estimate is founded. We have adopted the rule, which experience showed to be satisfactory for the lines of Torres Vedras, in computing the garrison of the various works, viz: Two men per running yard of front covering line and one man per running yard of rear line, deducting spaces occupied by guns. Computed in this manner, the total of the full garrisons of all the works would amount to 19,789 men, of which 6,581 should be gunners, in order to furnish three reliefs to each gun. Of these works, however, the following on the south side of the Potomac are on interior lines, and do not require full garrisons, while the exterior line is intact, viz: Forts Ellsworth, Scott, Runyon, Jackson, Corcoran, Bennett, and Haggerty. Fort Albany might, perhaps, have been included in the above list in our estimate of the 22d. However, we have considered it as fully garrisoned. As Fort Ellsworth and Fort Scott have commanding views of the valleys of Hunting Creek and Four-mile Run, we have considered it neces sary to provide for the efficient service of all their guns by three reliefs of gunners; to the others we have assigned but one relief. With regard to the assignment of garrisons to works of the exterior lines, we remark that if Washington were thrown upon its own defenses, without external aid, and the enemy were so far in the ascendant in the field as to be able to act on either shore, it is evident that all the works should be fully garrisoned. We do not consider this extreme supposition the proper basis for gar risoning the works, and it is evidently desirable to shut up in them as few men as possible. The more probable supposition is that the army moves from here in force, fully occupying the bulk of the enemy's forces by its own movement, leaving the capital so strengthened by its defensive lines as to prevent danger of sudden seizure by a strategical movement of the enemy, and enable it to be held a reasonable time in case of serious reverses to our own arms in the field. On this basis we have estimated for full garrisons of all the works of the exterior line south of the Potomac, for three reliefs of gunners for Forts Ellsworth and Scott, and for one relief for the other interior works, and for three reliefs of gunners only for all the works north of the Potomac, giving a total, as stated in our report of October 22, of 11,045 men. As without reserves a line of detached field works possesses little or no strength, we have considered as included in our instructions to provide for these. We are of opinion that two brigades should be distributed along the lines from Hunting Creek to Four Mile Run and two between Four Mile Run and Fort Corcoran, making, say, 12,000 men; one regiment in reserve at Chain Bridge of 750 men, and stationed in the city a reserve of 10,000 men; making a total of reserves of 22,750 men. the total of full garrisons of all the works north of the Potomac is 7,343 men, it will be seen that in case of necessity part of these works or all might be full garrisoned from the reserves, still leaving over 15,000 men. We herewith inclose two tabular statements, giving the names of works, perimeters, full garrisons, number of gunners, of works north and south of the Potomac. We would add that the system is not entirely completed, and that three or four more works than are mentioned in these statements may yet be found necessary. RECAPITULATION. For full garrisons of all works of exterior line south of the Potomac, except the Chain Bridge.. As Full garrisons of Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy Three reliefs of gunners at Forts Ellsworth and Scott.. For three reliefs of gunners for all works north of Potomac. 5,952 1,500 363 230 3,000 11,045 11, 045 22,750 33,795 We have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servants, WILLIAM F. BARRY, Brigadier-General, Chief of Artillery. Brigadier-General, and Chief Engineer. |