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I wish to take from this post with the artillery two companies of infantry, and desire to re-enforce this garrison by every man that can be obtained from above. Funds to defray expenses of transportation will be furnished on arrival.

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

Maj. C. C. SIBLEY,

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Sub-inclosure, No. 1.]

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 4, 1861.

Third Infantry, Commanding Fort McIntosh, Tex.

SIR: Under the impression that you with the garrison of Fort McIntosh may be marching in this direction or intending to march, and have received no orders from department headquarters to move toward San Antonio, in the name and by authority of the general-in-chief I call upon you to hasten to this post. Funds to defray expenses of transportation will be supplied on arrival. If you have knowledge of the advance in this direction of the troops from above, I desire you to communicate and hasten their march. Provisions are not abundant here, so you must husband your supply.

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

Maj. W. H. FRENCH,

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Sub-inclosure No. 2.]

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 4, 1861.

Comdg. Battalion First Artillery, en route to Fort Brown, Tex. SIR: I have caused to be sent to your aid several wagons pertaining to this command, and by authority of the general-in-chief urge you to hasten to this post. On arrival, you will be furnished with orders for the future. If Captain Bowman's company be in your rear and en route, needing aid to bring him here with expedition, I desire you to press on to him any of this transportation which can be spared. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

[Inclosure No. 2.]

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 4, 1861.

COMMANDING OFFICER, Fort Brown, Tex.

SIR: I have the honor to deliver for your immediate action, and for transfer to the senior with the detachment to embark on the steamer Daniel Webster, now at Brazos Santiago, the orders for the removal of the artillery from Texas, which orders indicate infantry may embark on the same vessel. By the authority and in the name of the generalin-chief I call upon you to hold in readiness to embark with the artil lery the two companies of the Third Infantry now at hand. If possible to take it another company will be ordered on board. The security of this post, until all the troops moving here shall be ready to embark, will alone, under existing circumstances, cause this infantry, or a portion of it, to be left here. For reasons of which the demand will indicate

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the necessity, especially when known that the steamer is not very capacious and was not chartered to carry so large a command, I have to insist:

First. That beyond the batteries, arms, ammunition, &c., all supplies, public material, and company luggage be left behind, to be disposed of under future orders, or carried off for these companies by the other troops.

Second. That the men go on board with five days' cooked provisions and canteens filled, about two days' hard bread, and other parts of the ration may be supplied from the stores on board.

Third. That before the troops the batteries be sent on board and as much of the luggage as possible, and when prepared the troops embarked as rapidly as possible.

I have quartermasters' funds (specie on board ship and deposit in New York) to defray the expenses of transportation, and will transfer them to your quartermaster as they may be required, and also leave some here on my departure.

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

Maj. F. J. PORTER,

[Inclosure No. 3.]

F. J. PÓRTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

RINGGOLD BARRACKS, TEX., February 6, 1861.

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Brown, Brownsville, Tex. MAJOR: Your letter of March 4 reached me at daylight this morning and found me executing nearly every item of your instructions. I sent an express to Major Sibley two days since urging him to move at once for Brownsville. I sent another express this morning with your letter, and hope it may meet him on the road. I leave forage for him at this post; he has subsistence sufficient to take him down. Major French will probably reach you before this letter; he left Edinburg this morning. Company A, Third Infantry, leaves by land to-morrow, and should be at Brownsville on the 11th. The baggage goes by steamer, and, being an invalid, I shall go by the same means. I send down all the corn and flour we can spare. Major French wrote in pencil on the envelope of your letter to me something about a train coming up for my use and for Major Sibley's use. If a train comes it will be sent to meet Major Sibley and expedite his movement. Our property is already on board the steamer Mustang, and we need no train. I am, most respectfully, major, your obedient servant, E. BACKUS, Lieutenant-Colonel Third Infantry, Commanding.

[Inclosure No. 4.]

ARTILLERY BATTALION,

Camp at La Blanca, Tex., about Fifty Miles from Brownsville,

Maj. F. J. PORTER,

March 6, 1861—1 p. m.

Assistant Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, Fort Brown, Tex. MAJOR: Your communication of the 4th instant reached me in camp at 3.30 p. m. yesterday at the Tortugas, thirty-three miles from here. I met the wagons this morning at 7.30 o'clock six miles this side of Edinburg. The heat of the weather and the lengthened marches com

pelled me to take all the wagons for my command, particularly as
Major Shepherd has seized three of my wagons for his own use at Dun-
can, obliging me to throw out on the road ordnance stores to lighten
my forge and battery wagons and causing unnecessary privations to
my men.
I will be in Brownsville on the day after to-morrow morning.
The two communications for Forts Ringgold Barracks and McIntosh
were at once sent forward.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. H. FRENCH,
Brevet-Major, U. S. Army.

P. S.-I left Duncan at 3 p. m. 20th ultimo.

Maj. F. J. PORTER,

[Inclosure No. 5.]

FORT MCINTOSH, TEX., March 9, 1861.

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Brown, Tex.

MAJOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, and in reply have to state that I shall commence the march with the garrison of this post at the earliest moment possible. Transportation cannot be in readiness before day after to-morrow. I shall take rations for the command for thirty days. I have heard of no troops from above on the march in this direction. It was rumored that the garrison of Fort Duncan were to have commenced the march several days since; doubtless on San Antonio.

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

Maj. W. H. FRENCH,

C. C. SIBLEY,

Major Third Infantry, Commanding Post.

[Inclosure No. 6.]

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 9, 1861.

Comdg. Battalion First and Second Arty., Fort Brown, Tex. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the steamer Daniel Webster lies off Brazos Santiago prepared, except with a supply of water, to receive your command. Water will be sent by the first steamer communicating, which will be the one taking a battery. I am directed to take on board as many infantry as the steamer can carry to Key West, and have caused to be held in readiness the two companies of infantry now here. I desire these companies to embark with you, and also a third company, if it arrives in time to cause no delay, unless the future commander shall require them to remain to secure this post, and the supplies needed for the troops en route to it, until all are ready to embark. The ship will necessarily be crowded for three or four days, but if the suggestions in my letter of the 4th instant to the post commander be carried out, much inconvenience will be avoided.

I inclose a list* of supplies on board ship. Medical supplies will be required for the voyage, and a hospital steward to be left at Fort Taylor. I have arranged to the utmost of my power to facilitate your movements, and if I can in any manner aid you in future it will be my pleasure as well as my duty.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. J. PÓRTER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

* See Porter to commanding officer, Fort Brown, p. 18.

[Inclosure No. 7.]

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 9, 1861.

COMMANDING OFFICER, Fort Brown, Tex.

SIR: I to-day notified the commander of the artillery battalion to embark on the steamer Daniel Webster; that I desired, under the authority of the general-in-chief, to embark with him the two companies of infantry now here, and a third company, should it arrive in time to cause no delay, unless the commander of this post shall require them to secure this post, and the supplies needed for troops en route to it, until all shall be ready to embark. I do not insist upon removing these infantry companies, though I am anxious to do so, and will be much gratified to know that I can remove them without fear of a collision between the future garrison and the authorities of Texas. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Capt. W. B. JOHNS,

[Inclosure No. 8.]

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 10, 1861.

Third Infantry, Commanding Fort Brown, Tex.

SIR: By order of the general-in-chief I call upon you to turn over the command of this post to the proper officer and unite your companies to those which are to embark on the steamer Daniel Webster. Brevet Major French is the senior officer, to whom you will report. Lieut. J. W. Alley, acting assistant quartermaster and acting assistant commissary of subsistence, will remain to turn over the property for which he is and may become responsible, and then be ordered to join his company.

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

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

[On a copy furnished Captain Stoneman was added:]

Copy for the information of Capt. George Stoneman, First [Second] Cavalry, who will relieve Captain Johns in command of the post.

By command of Lieut. Gen. Winfield Scott:

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure No. 9.]

HEADQUARTERS,

Maj. F. J. PORTER,

Fort McIntosh, Tex., March 11, 1861.

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Brown, Tex.

MAJOR: I have to report that I shall commence my march for Fort Brown to-morrow. I was not able to move to-day in consequence of unavoidable delay in procuring the necessary transportation-Mexican carts.

I would state that I received an express order to-day from San Antonio, by which Major Nichols informs me that it was the intention of the commander of the department to order the troops at this post and Ringgold

Barracks via San Patricio and Indianola, as the object no doubt is to get the troops out of Texas with as much dispatch as possible. I shall not change my arrangements of marching on Fort Brown. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. C. SIBLEY,

Maj. W. H. FRENCH,

Major Third Infantry, Commanding Post.

[Inclosure No. 10.]

MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE, March 13, 1861.

Commanding Battalion of Artillery and Infantry,

Mouth of the Rio Grande, Tex.

MAJOR: I contracted to-day with the agent of the Southern Steamship Company to transport on the steamer Rusk to Tortugas and Key West such portion of your command as cannot be embarked on the Webster. The contract I inclose, and inform you the Rusk will be at your disposal; and I desire, in the name of the general-in-chief, that you will consider your instructions so amended as to authorize you to take her. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure No. 11.J

MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE, March 13, 1861.

Lieut. Col. E. BACKUS,

Third infantry, Commanding Fort Brown, Tex.

COLONEL: A steamer will be at Brazos on Monday or Tuesday to take troops to Tortugas and Key West, and I wish Assistant Surgeon L'Engle, or any other medical officer at hand, ordered, in the name of the general-in-chief, to join the command on board for duty at Fort Jefferson, Tortugas. I desire the company of infantry now with you to be held in readiness to embark on the same steamer, to be transferred to one at Key West to sail to New York harbor. I will give you timely notice by express when it should be at Brazos Santiago. I think, however, there is little chance of its going, but I notify you that no delay may arise. I make these calls by authority of the general-in-chief.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. J. PORTER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

P. S.-If an hospital steward can be spared be pleased to order him to accompany Assistant Surgeon L'Engle, to be assigned to duty at Key West.

Maj. F. J. PORTER,

[Inclosure No. 12.]

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 16, 1861.

Assistant Adjutant-General, Mouth of the Rio Grande, Tex. MAJOR: The mail brought me letters* from Major Sibley, which I inclose that you may read. He will probably be at Ringgold to-mor

* Not found.

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