State. Yet the most effective body of the troops of Arkansas have been called away to Virginia and Kentucky. That this should continue so I submit most respectfully, but seriously, does not seem to me to be either wise or just for Missouri, Arkansas, or the Indian Territories.

If disaster befalls in your division, it must lie at your door, onerous as your duties are, unless it shall appear that you have fully comprehended the whole field of operations and made every effort, not for means, but for adequate means, to sustain such high and imposing interests. You have not even a major-general west of the Mississippi River; a country as broad as all Austria, Prussia, and Germany.

It is not so with the enemy and ought not to be so with us. They know the value of Missouri. All Missouri is now in their hands. It was not so when you took command, and would not have been so could we have had your presence there. And Arkansas is threatened at two points, and in my judgment will be invaded as subsidiary to their operations on Memphis and down the Mississippi River. And I cannot regard it, with all respect for Colonel Borland, that he is the proper person to hold the chief command at such a point as Pocahontas, whether by military education or experience in the field. His statement that a column is moving against him I believe, and if not yet true, I am satisfied it must become so with the very first successes of the enemy in Missouri or upon the Mississippi River or in Kentucky.

We have done nothing to assail them in Missouri or to defend in comparison with their preparations. What is it all for? If Price's army disbands, we shall soon know. I doubt not you have thought of these. matters. One defeat disbands the disorderly and illy-united army of General Pricé. Success alone can keep it together. The consequences in that State and this valley are too palpable to mention.

The responsibilities, my dear sir, of a command so wide-spread and of two wars at once so distant thrown wholly upon your hands I know to be stupendous and do most anxiously appreciate, and if you have not demanded an officer of the highest rank and experience and all other adequate war material for his operations subject to your orders only I hope you will do so promptly, and I shall be more than happy to receive any expression from you, as it will at once command every effort on my part to sustain you.

One other subject I beg to call to your attention: I understood that the Arkansas regiment formerly Colonel Hindman's is greatly discontented. It is because of the action of General Hardee placing a stranger from another State over them, and the regiment protests. I learn the facts from Lieutenant-Colonel Bocage, who has resigned. I will not go into the many particulars he relates, embracing the protest of all the officers of the regiment, but will merely say that it is a course pursued towards the troops of no other State, and would be submitted to by no other State quietly. The State of Arkansas has no fame to bank upon that she can see her opportunities sacrificed to the personal preferences of General Hardee, and we all know that honor won by the Missourian, the commanding officer, would inure to Missouri, if not also reflect upon Arkansas, that she had no man fit, in the opinion of the commanding officer, to lead them. I have protested to the Government against this course, and had wished to lay the matter personally before you, but find I cannot. I feel earnestly upon it, and you will pardon me if I have said too much in this or other respects.

And believe me, sir, with the warmest wishes for your glory and triumph to the end, yours, very truly,

R. W. JOHNSON.

here give the date-and the fear that this call might again interfere with your enlistment for the war, I have thought it proper to submit the case to you, and ask you to put that State in arms to repel invasion or to permit me so to do.

A. S. JOHNSTON,

General.

RICHMOND, November 19, 1861.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON, Nashville:

You may call out all the armed men you can get from Mississippi, Northern Alabama, Kentucky, or Tennessee. Do not call any from the sea-coast. You can use your discretion as to terms of enlistment of armed men, or you can call out the militia so far as armed. Do not give any of our arms to men enlisted for less than the war. We hope soon to receive 10,000 stand of arms from another quarter, and you shall have your full share.

J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War.

CHAPTER XIII.

OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA.

August 1, 1861-January 11, 1862.

SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

17, 1861.-Bvt. Maj. Gen. John E. Wool, U. S. Army, supersedes MajorGeneral Butler in command of the Department of Virginia.

20, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Richard C. Gatlin, C. S. Army, assumes command of the defenses of North Carolina.

28, 29, 1861.-Capture of the Confederate batteries at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina.

3, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Anderson, C. S. Army, ordered to North Carolina.

29, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Daniel H. Hill, C. S. Army, ordered to North Carolina. 1, 1861.-Capture of the U. S. transport Fanny, near Chicamacomico, or Loggerhead Inlet, North Carolina.

4, 1861.-Affair at Chicamacomico, North Carolina.

5, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Joseph K. F. Mansfield, U. S. Army, assigned to command at Hatteras Inlet.

13, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Thomas Williams, U. S. Army, supersedes BrigadierGeneral Mansfield.

21, 1861.-Skirmish at Young's Mill, near Newport News, Va.

11, 1861.-Skirmish near New Market Bridge, near Fort Monroe, Va.
21, 1861.-Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wise, C. S. Army, assigned to duty in North
Carolina.

22, 1861.-Skirmish near New Market, Va.

3, 1862.-Reconnaissance from Camp Hamilton to Big Bethel, Va.

7, 1862.-The Department of North Carolina constituted, to be commanded by Brig. Gen. A. E. Burnside, U. S. Army.

11, 1862.-The Burnside expedition sails from Hampton Roads for the coast of North Carolina.

AUGUST 7, 1861.-The burning of Hampton, Va.

REPORTS.

No. 1.-Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, U. S. Army.

No. 2.-Col. John W. Phelps, First Vermont Infantry.
No. 3.-Brig. Gen. John B. Magruder, C. S. Army.

566

No. 1.

Report of Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fortress Monroe, August 8, 1861..

SIR: I have the honor to report that the First Vermont Regiment were embarked on Monday morning for New Haven, their time expiring on the 9th instant, which would be the time of their arrival. I had arranged that Colonel Carr's regiment, the Second New York Volunteers, should be transferred from Old Point to strengthen Newport News.

You may remember that I said to you, when I had the honor of an interview at Washington on Saturday, that a demonstration on the part of the enemy would be made within the coming week. On my return, Tuesday morning, I found various indications thereof. On Wednesday, about 2 o'clock p. m., the patrol of Colonel Weber's regiment discovered the enemy in force at New Market Bridge, about 2 miles from Hampton. About 4 o'clock they took one Mayhew, a deserter, who had swum the creek near New Market Bridge and delivered himself up, and brought him to me for examination. From his statements I learned his name, Mayhew; that he is a native of Bangor, Me., who, having landed in Georgia as a seaman, was impressed in a Georgia regiment, known by the name of "Baker's Fire Eaters." He is intelligent, and appears to be truthful. He stated that five regiments, including two Louisiana; one Alabama regiment, under Colonel Ex-Governor Winston; one North Carolina and one Georgia regiment, with two portions of battalions of artillery, and 300 Louisiana Zouaves, a picked battalion, left Yorktown and Williamsburg on Sunday, and marched to the neighborhood of Big Bethel, where they encamped until Tuesday. On Wednesday, at 11 o'clock, they marched to New Market Bridge, where they formed in order of battle, expecting an attack from me. They had eight guns; one rifled gun, two 32-pounder howitzers, two long 24s, and three smaller guns. This force was under the command of General Magruder. The regiments had numbered in the neighborhood of 1,000 men each, but had been reduced by sickness at Yorktown; Mayhew's own regiment numbering but 650, 325 being sick with the measles. As near as I could gather, comparing his account with the notes I had from others, the enemy's force was a little rising 5,000 men, although Mayhew represented it at 7,000. He further stated that it was understood in camp that an attack was to be made on Newport News, the force being then bivouacked but 5 miles from that point.

Dispositions were immediately made, such as seemed proper, for reenforcing Newport News in case of an attack, or repelling an attack upon the troops encamped between the fortress and Hampton in case one was made. After riding through the camps and giving final instructions, I rode over to the bridge at Hampton, 30 feet of which nearest the town we had before removed, and at 11.20 o'clock, when I left, everything was still. A few minutes before 12 o'clock the enemy made an attempt to burn the bridge, and for that purpose attacked the guard thereon, who were protected by a barricade of planks. The enemy were driven back with the loss of 3 killed and several wounded. No casualties occurred on our side.

The enemy then proceeded to fire the town in a great number of places. By 12 o'clock it was in flames, and is now entirely destroyed. They gave but fifteen minutes' time for the inhabitants to remove from their houses, and I have to-day brought over the old and infirm, who