E W. F. Barry to Joseph Hooker, December 16, 1862
Washington, December 16, 1862.
f GENERAL: It having been stated in various publie prints, and in a speech of Senator Chandler, of Michigan, in his place in the United States Senate, quoting what he stated to be a portion of the testimony of Brigadier-General Wadsworth, military governor of Washington, before the joint Senate and House Committee on the Conduct of the War, that Major-General McClellan had left an insufficient force for the defense of Washington, ae iem a gun, = wheels—
I have to contradict this charge as follows: : =
From official reports made at the timo to me (the chief of artillery of the Army of the Potomac), and now in my possession, by the commanding officer of the light artillery troops left in camp in the city of Washington by your order, it appears that the following-hamed field batteries were left : ; Ã
Battery C, First New York Artillery, Captain Barnes, two guns; Battery K, First New York Artillery, Captain Crounse, six guns; Battery L, Second New York Artillery, Captain Robinson, six guns; Ninth New York Independent Battery, Captain Morozowiez, six guns; Sixteenth New York Independent Battery, Captain Locke; Battery A, Second Battalion New York Artillery, Captain Hogan, six guns; Battery B, Second Battalion New York Artillery, Captain McMahon, six guns; total, seven
atteries, thirty-two guns. . 1 P iuh cho copio DE a few horses, which could have been procured from the Quartermaster’s Department in afew hours, the batteries were all fit for immediate service, excepting the Sixteenth New York Battery, which haying been previously ordered,
on General Wadsworth’s application, to report to him for special service, was unequipped with either guns or horses. ; $ Iam, general, very respecttully,
your obedient servant, Powe :
Brigadier- General, Inspector of Artillery, U. S. Army.
Major-General MCCLELLAN, U. S. Army.
It is true that Blenkers division, which is included in the force
enumerated by me, was under orders to re-enforce General Frémont,
but the following dispatch from the Secretary of War, dated March 31,
1862, will show that I was authorized to detain him at Strasburg until
matters assunied a definite form in that region, before proceeding to his