Major-General CADWALADER, BALTIMORE, MD., July 10, 1864. Commanding, &c., Philadelphia: Your telegram is received. The bridges named by you are those for which artillery is urgently required. It is only wanted between Wilmington and Baltimore. By command of Brevet Brigadier-General Morris : SAML. B. LAWRENCE. HEADQUARTERS, Commodore C. K. STRIBLING, Philadelphia, Pa., July 10, 1864. Commanding Navy-Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.: COMMODORE: I have received your second letter of this date saying that you had ordered the howitzers to be got ready, and that you expected to have the men organized to man them with a company of marines to accompany the battery, ready to leave here tomorrow morning by 10 o'clock. The purpose desired is to protect the depot and ferry steam-boat of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company at Havre de Grace, and the railroad bridges over the Bush River, the Gunpowder River, and Back River, at each of which places it is desirable to leave at least one howitzer. The company of marines would be more useful at the Gunpowder bridge, as being more exposed to attack. There is at present one company at each of these bridges, and I am now sending another company to each, making two companies to each bridge. It is very desirable to have your co-operation in this emergency, as the safety of these bridges is of the utmost importance in keeping open our communication with Baltimore and Washington, and for forwarding troops, &c., to these places. It is important that this force should have three days' rations with them, which will be furnished by you, unless you prefer its being done by my commissary of subsistence. Transportation over the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad will be paid by my quartermaster on the certificate of the officer in command of the detachment. The detachment will be subsisted during their tour of duty by requisitions on the commissary of subsistence here, unless you should advise me of your preference for some other arrangement. Respectfully, your obedient_servant, GEO. CADWALADER. HEADQUARTERS, Commodore C. K. STRIBLING, Philadelphia, Pa., July 10, 1864. Comdg. U. S. Naval Station, Philadelphia, Pa.: SIR: I have received information from General Morris, in temporary command in Baltimore, that he has reliable information that an attempt will be made to destroy a part of the railroad between Baltimore and Wilmington. There was a battery of guns (howitzers, I think) furnished from the navy-yard in this city last year, with a detachment from the Navy to serve them, for the defense of the bridges and ferry at Havre de Grace, that would afford us material assistance if you could furnish it now for that purpose. I can forward them at any moment they will be ready. They should, of course, be supplied with suitable ammunition. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. CADWALADER, NAVY-YARD, PHILADELPHIA, July 10, 1864. Maj. Gen. GEORGE CADWALADER, Commanding, Philadelphia: GENERAL: I have received your letter of this date. It is impossible for me to do anything to-day. I will, early to-morrow, have as many howitzers put in order as possible, but I cannot promise to have any men for them; the difficulty of last year admonishes me not to repeat the mistake I then made. I will try to have men prepared to man the guns ready for service if the danger should be imminent, or I receive orders to co-operate with you. I will have a company of marines ready for any service. Respectfully, your obedient servant, C. K. STRIBLING, Commandant. Major-General DIX, New York: WAR DEPARTMENT, July 10, 1864-1 a. m. An official report fron Major-General Wallace, just received, states that a battle took place between the forces under his command and the rebel forces at Monocacy to-day [9th], commencing at 9 a. m. and continuing until 5 p. m.; that our forces were at length overpowered by the superior numbers of the enemy, and were forced to retreat in disorder. He reports that Colonel Seward, of the [Ninth] New York Heavy Artillery, was wounded and taken prisoner, and that Brigadier-General Tyler was also taken prisoner; that the enemy's force is at least 20,000, and that our troops behaved well, but suffered severe loss. He is retreating to Baltimore. EDWIN M. STANTON. Major-General Dix, WASHINGTON, July 10, 1864-12.30 a. m. New York: The troops raised in New York by General Sandford should be hurried forward to Baltimore with all possible dispatch. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. Hon. E. M. STANTON : NEW YORK CITY, July 10, 1864. General Sandford has just returned to town. I have seen Governor Seymour's order of yesterday. It will be impossible to get off any troops under it for several days. General Sandford and I have telegraphed him for a peremptory order for the regiments to go at once. JOHN A. DIX, Major-General. Major-General HALLECK: NEW YORK, N. Y., July 10, 1864. The Governor's third order in regard to the militia was received night before last. General Sandford issued his orders to colonels of the designated regiments yesterday, and went into the country last evening. His second in command is doing all he can. I am acting with him, and no effort will be spared to get the troops to the field. JOHN A. DIX, Major-General. Major-General Dix, New York: BALTIMORE, MD., July 10, 1864. Can you inform me when the troops will leave New York. Please hurry them forward. By order of Brigadier-General Morris : SAML. B. LAWRENCE, Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General. General MORRIS, Commanding: NEW YORK, July 10, 1864. About 600 men have left or are leaving. I have been trying all day to get off the militia regiments. Hope to succeed by to-morrow morning. JOHN A. DIX. WASHINGTON, July 11, 1864-8 a. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT: Yours of 10.30 p. m. yesterday received, and very satisfactory. The enemy will learn of Wright's arrival, and then the difficulty will be to unite Wright and Hunter south of the enemy before he will recross the Potomac. Some firing between Rockville and here now. A. LINCOLN. WASHINGTON, July 11, 1864-12 noon. Lieutenant-General GRANT, City Point, Va.: General Wright has just arrived, and a part of his corps will soon be in. He will take position, until ready for the field, near Fort Sumner, on the Potomac, above Chain Bridge. We can give him transportation, but very little or no artillery. Please send up his batteries as nearly ready for the field as possible. Enemy close to our lines on Rockville road, skirmishing with our cavalry and pickets. His cavalry advance is pretty strong, with artillery and infantry behind; but how much not ascertained. Accounts from Wallace indicate that he was badly cut up. Militia ordered from New York to Baltimore delayed by the Governor for some reason not explained. Pennsylvania will do nothing to help us. The President has seen your telegram about putting Ord in Wallace's place at Baltimore, but has given me no orders on the subject. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. CITY POINT, July 11, 1864-3 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff: General W. T. H. Brooks has tendered his resignation, which I approve. If General Ord is not already assigned to duty, I wish to have him assigned to the command of the Tenth Corps, and ordered to it as soon as he can be spared. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. CITY POINT, VA., July 11, 1864. Major-General MEADE, Commanding, &c.: If Hill's corps has gone, we must find out where it has gone, and take advantage of its absence. If your cavalry does not succeed in ascertaining to-day where it has gone, I think it will be advisable to get up all the well-mounted men of one division of Sheridan's cavalry to-night, and push it out until definite information is obtained. If they have gone to Washington we will try to carry Petersburg before detaching further from this army. The best way to accomplish this will probably be by turning the enemy's right, with Hancock's and Warren's corps, and Sheridan's cavalry, with heavy columns from Burnside's and Smith's corps, on one well-chosen point on the front of one or the other of these corps-probably about the Hare house. U. S. GRANT, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, July 11, 1864-10 p. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT: (Received 12th.) A body of about 150 rebel cavalry attacked Gunpowder bridge at about 4.30 this a. m., drove off the guards at each end, which con sisted of some seventy Ohio National Guard, destroyed a considerable part of the bridge, and captured and destroyed two trains of cars, one going north, the other south. General Franklin was captured and the other officers in the train. Baldy Smith's name is not mentioned, but we conclude that he was among them. A gun-boat reached the scene after it was all over: General Wallace reports a large force of the enemy near Baltimore this morning, but seems to have had no fighting since his defeat on the Monocacy, on Saturday. As to his losses there we have no specific figures, but I estimate them at from 200 to 400. We had positive information that Early, Breckinridge, and Imboden dined together at Rockville at 3 p. m. Sunday. In front of Washington, Lowell's cavalry had some pretty sharp skirmishing yesterday, on the Tennallytown road. His pickets were driven in, and Major Fry, who commanded them, reports that the enemy was there in great force, with infantry and artillery. Nothing has occurred there to-day to demonstrate the presence of any such force, and the skirmishing has borne away to the right, in front of Fort Stevens. Colonel Hardie, who was at Fort Reno about noon, reports that the rebels had one rifle gun bearing upon that work. He saw also a train of ambulances, which he judged to be about a mile in length, and a column of infantry, of another straggling character, moving in direction of Fort Stevens. The country has also been filled with clouds of dust, which are believed to have been raised by bodies of cavalry. This evening the pickets are very active in front of Fort Stevens, but they are composed mostly of 100-days' men. The cannon of the fort have also been used, though not a gun has been fired at the fort. Very few of our men have been wounded. The telegraph operator there reports a considerable number of camp-fires visible in front. The railroad between Washington and Baltimore has not yet been interfered with. Five boat-loads of General Wright's troops have arrived, and one of the Nineteenth Corps. General Wright and his troops have gone to Fort Stevens. All the convalescents from the hospitals have been collected and organized and sent to the trenches also, and General Meigs moved at this p. m. in command of some 1,500 armed employés of the Quartermaster's Department. General Meigs has also furnished guards to relieve the Veteran Reserves about the depots in this city and Alexandria, and they have likewise gone to the front. General Augur has also drawn from the fortifications on the south side all the men that, in his judgment, could possibly be spared from there. General Gillmore has arrived in town and will take the chief command of the troops as soon as they are able to move out of the defenses. I find that General Halleck has very great confidence in this officer. I should also state that General McCook is in command at Fort Stevens. General Augur has been very actively engaged in getting these miscellaneous troops to the front. His precise position in relation to General Gillmore I do not understand, but will ascertain and inform you in the morning. General Ord went over to Baltimore this p. m., at 4.30, to take command of the troops in the field, General Wallace being directed to make his headquarters in the city. Washington and Baltimore are in a state of great excitement. Both cities are filled with country people fleeing from the enemy. The damage to private property done by the invaders is almost beyond calculation. Mills, workshops, and factories of every sort have been destroyed. 13 R R-VOL XXXVII, PT II |