Fitz J. Porter to E.D. Townsend, June 14, 1861

Colonel TOWNSEND :] : DrAR COLONEL: To-morrow morning our force will be in Hagers own, located as indicated in the accompanying map. [very effort has yeen made to press forward, and the move to-morrow is a strained one. very wagon we could get is engaged with the front column, except welve employed here taking baggage to the trains. We could not hire eams here, and as far as I see here the people are just as willing to be smployed by the foe as by us if it wou’d be safe and would pay. Our yne-horse railroad does not permit much work. By Sunday night I hope he main work will be over and the force in Hagerstown, and the track pen to the trains coming in with supplies. To-day many reports have come to us to the effect that the enemy is svacuating Harper’s erry. Persons sometimes circulate such to induce is to press on to the trap. Our own spies do not confirm them. Though I have been engaged night and day in the office, and have no ntelligent assistants in a military point of view or cognizant of the vorkings of the staff, I have succeeded in inspecting the regiments here, ind to so organize the brigades as to make them the most effective. In ach are some riflemen, good marksmen, though the regiments are mainly irmed with smooth-bore muskets. Till Icame here I could not get from ny one of them the kind of arm in possession, nor the caliber, nor a solitary requisition for anything. I have had to order each individual ticle generally before I came here, and to push the articles forward. have had to play ordnance officer, assistant adjutant-general, comnander of the forces, inspector, quartermaster—everything. Now all ranches have got to working well, except that part of the quartermaser’s department embraced in transportation. A kingdom for a few 1orses or mules would be my cry if I had a kingdom. I do wish our orce to be the first to enter Harpev’s Ferry, but rather than make a false step and lose by it or be checked, I shall be content to be last. Our orce is an imposing one to all else outside the ring. The heavy battery will probably be here on Sunday night or in Harerstown. The Fourth Artillery battery has not yet arrived at Carlisle, hough believed to be on the way. Harness not heard from or of. By he time that battery reaches Hagerstown we will be ready. Our force vill be advanced immediately, and a position assumed which will permit he camps to be abandoned to a guard and the force move on. We will oon have a telegraph established to Hagerstown this way. The one hrough Frederick cannot be trusted. We will soon see other work. Write to Stone to-night, telling him what we will do, and that at the sroper time we wish him to move up, according to his judgment and nformation, either towards Frederick or Leesburg. You think us slow, mut if you and the General were here you would think otherwise, and hat we have accomplished much. The enemy have cut off all avenues yf approach. The deserters give various accounts, and I believe in some cases they have been sent here to deceive. They gained no infornation. I send you sketches of Berkeley County. Cannot get one of Jeflerson. The Maryland Heights were re-enforced on Wednesday by about – 3,000 men; whether to coerce the Kentuckians or not, can’t say, or to sover 2 movement in rear. They have tried several times to induce us (0 cross and get whipped.

F. J. PORTER,