AliMY OPERATIONS. 



89 



Leesburg. To recapitulate, the most important points 

 that should engage your attention are as follows: 



first A strong force, well intrenched, in the vicini- 

 ty of Manassas perhaps even Centreville, and another 

 force, a brigade, also well intrenched near Strasburg. 

 7 Block houses at the railroad bridges. 



Third Constant employment of cavalry well to the 

 front. 



Fourth Grand guards at "Warrenton, and in ad- 

 vance as far as theliappahannock, if possible. 



Fifth _ Great care to be exercised to obtain full and 

 early information as to the enemy. 



S'ixtk The general object is to cover the line of the 

 Potomac and Washington. 



The foregoing is communicated by order of Maj.- 

 Gen. McClellan. -- . 



Assistant Adjutant-General. 



On the 1st of April Gen. McClellan address- 

 ed the following additional note to Gen. 

 Banks : 



HEAPQrAp.TERs. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, I 

 Ox BOAED COMMODOBE, April 1, 1S62. j 



Maj.-Gen. N. P. Rinks, Commanding Fifth Army 



Corps : 



GENERAL : The change in affairs in the valley of the 

 Shenandoah has rendered necessary a corresponding 

 departure, temporarily at least, from the plan we some 

 days since agreed upon. 



In my arrangements I assume that you have a force 

 amplv sufficient to drive Jackson before you, provided 

 he is" not reenforced largely. I also assume that you 

 may find it impossible to find anything toward Manas- 

 sas' for some days, probably not until the operations 

 of the main aniiy have drawn all the rebel force to- 

 ward Richmond. 



You are aware that Gen. Sumner has for some days 

 been at Warrenton Junction, with two divisions of 

 infantry, six batteries, and two regiments of cavalry, 

 and that a reconnoissauce to the Rappahannock forced 

 the enemy to destroy the railroad bridge at Rappahan- 

 nock Station, on the Orange and Alexandria railroad. 

 Since that time our cavalry have found nothing on this 

 side of the Rappahannock in that direction, and it seems 

 clear that we have no reason to fear any return of the 

 rebels in that quarter. Their movements near Fred- 

 ericksburg also indicate a final abandonment of that 

 neighborhood. 



I doubt whether Johnston will now reenforce Jack- 

 son with a view to offensive operations. The time 

 has probably passed when he could have gained any- 

 thing by so doing. 



I have ordered one of Sumner's divisions (that of 

 Richardson) to Alexandria for embarkation. Blenker's 

 has been detached from the Army of the Potomac, and 

 ordered to report to Gen. Fremont. Abercrombie is 

 probably at Warreutou Junction to-dav ; Geary at 

 White Plains. 



Two regiments of cavalry have been ordered out, 

 and are now on the way to relieve the two regiments 

 of Sumner. Four thousand infantry and one battery 

 leave Washington at once for Manassas. Some three 

 thousand more will move in one or two days, and soon 

 after three thousand additional. 



I will order Blenker to move on Strasburg and re- 

 port to you for temporary duty ; so that, should you 

 find a large force in your front, you can avail yourself 

 of his aid. As soon as possible, please direct him on 

 Winchester, thence to report to the Adjutant-General 

 of the Army for orders ; but keep him until you are 

 sure what you have in front. 



In regard to your own movements, the most impor- 

 tant thing is to throw Jackson well back, and then to 

 assume such a position as to enable you to prevent his 

 return. As soon as the railway communications are 

 reestablished, it will be probably important and ad- 

 visable to move on Staunton ; but this would require 

 communications and a force of 25,000 to 30, 

 active operations. It should also be nearly coinci- 

 dent with my own move on Richmond. At all events, 



not so long before it as to enable the rebels to concen- 

 trate on you and then return to me. 



I fear 'that you cannot be ready in time; although 

 it may coinu iii very well with a force less than 1 Lave 

 mentioned, alter the main battle near Richmond. 

 When Gen. Sumner leaves Warrenton Junction, Gen. 

 Abercrombie will be placed in immediate command of 

 Manassas and Warrenton Junction, under your gen- 

 eral orders. Please inform me frequently by tele- 

 graph and otherwise as to the state of things in your 

 front. I am, verv trulv vours, 



" GEO" B. McCLELLAN, 



Maj.-Gen. Commanding. 



P. S. From what I have just learned, it would 

 seem that the two regiments of cavalry intended for 

 Warrenton Junction have gone to Harper's Ferry. 

 Of the four additional regiments placed under your 

 orders, two should as promptly as possible move by 

 the shortest route on 'SV arrenton Junction. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

 GEU.'B.'McCLELLAX. 



Maj.-Gen. Commanding. 



HEADQUARTERS, AP.MT or THE POTOMAC, ) 

 STEADIER COMMODOEE, April I, lsG2. { 



To Brig.-Gen. L. Thomas, A'lj.-Gen. U. S. A. : 



GENERAL : I have to request that you will lay the 

 following communication before the lion. Secretary of 

 War. The approximate numbers and positions of the 

 troops left near and in rear of the Potomac are about 

 as follows : 



Gen. Dix has, after guarding the railroads under 

 his charge, sufficient troops to give him five thou- 

 sand men for the defence of Baltimore, and one 

 thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight available for 

 the eastern shore, Annapolis, <fec. Fort Delaware is 

 very well garrisoned by about four hundred men. 

 The garrisons of the forts around Washington amount 

 to ten thousand men, other disposable troops now with 

 Gen. Wadsworth being about eleven thousand four 

 hundred men. The troops employed in guarding the 

 various railroads in Maryland amount to some three 

 thousand three hundred and fifty-nine men. These it 

 is designed to relieve, being old regiments, by dis- 

 mounted cavalry, and to send them forward to Manas- 

 sas. Gen. Abercrombie occupies Warrenton with a 

 force which, including Col. Geary's at White Plains, 

 and the cavalry to be at their disposal, will amount to 

 some seven thousand seven hundred and eighty men, 

 with twelve pieces of artillery. 



I have the nonorto request that all the troops organ- 

 ized for service in Pennsylvania and New York and 

 in any of the Eastern States, may be ordered to Wash- 

 ington. This force I should be glad to have sent at 

 once to Manassas four thousand men from Gen. 

 Wadsworth to be ordered to Manassas. These troops, 

 with the railroad guards above alluded to, will make 

 up a force under the command of Gen. Aberorombie 

 to something like eighteen thousand six hundred and 

 thirty-nine men. It is my design to push Gen. Blen- 

 ker from Warrenton upon Strasburg. He should re- 

 main at Strasburg long enough to allow matters to as- 

 sume a definite form in that region before proceeding 

 to his ultimate destination. The troops in the valley 

 of the Sheuandoah will thus including Blenker's divi- 

 sion, ten thousand and twenty-eight strong, with twen- 

 ty-four pieces of artillery, Banks's Fifth Corps, which 

 embraces the command of Gen. Shields, nineteen thou- 

 sand six hundred and eighty-seven strong, with forty- 

 one guns, some three thousand six hundred and fifty- 

 three disposable cavalry, and the railroad guard, about 

 twenty-one hundred men amount to about thirty-five 

 thousand four hundred and sixty-seven men. 



It is designed to relieve Gen. Hooker by one regi- 

 ment say eight hundred and fifty men being, with 

 five hundred cavalry, thirteen hundred and fifty men 

 on the Lower Potomac. To recapitulate : At Warren- 

 ton there are to be seven thousand seven hundred and 

 eighty ; at Manassas, say ten thousand eight hundred 

 and fifty-nine ; in the Shenandoah Valley, thirty-five 

 thousand four hundred and sixty-seven ; on the Lower 



