John A. Dix to War DEPARTMENT, August 7, 1861
Fort McHenry, Md., August 7, 1861.
Col. E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant- General, Headquarters of the Army:
COLONEL: lreceived the telegraphie dispateh of the General-in-Chief, to send General King and two Wisconsin regiments to Washington, this afternoon, at 5.15 p. m. The orders have been issued and the regiments will leave the moment transportation ean be provided. General King returned to Washington this afternoon. When the dispatch was received my force in this State had been disposed as follows: First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, at Annapolis and Annapolis Junction; Fourth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, at Relay House; Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, at West Baltimore street; Fifth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, at MeKim’s mansion; Sixth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, at Patterson’s Park; Twentieth Regiment Indiana Volunteers, on Northern Central Railroad; Third Regiment New York Volunteers, at Fort MeHenry; Twenty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteers, near Fort MeHenry; Fifth Regiment New York Volunteers, at Federal Hill; Fourth Regiment New York Volunteers, six eompanies on Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad; Fourth Regiment New York . Volunteers, four companies at Mount Clare; Second Regiment Maryland Volunteers, five companies at Mount Clare; Second Regiment . Delaware Volunteers, five companies at Havre de Grace. The time of these five last-named companies is about to expire, and they are to be replaced by the four companies of the New York Fourth at Mount Clare.
I had occupied all the important eminences nearest to Baltimore. The removal of the Fifth and Sixth Wisconsin compels me to abandon two of them. It is very desirable that they should be occupied as soon as possible. Two companies of cavalry have arrived; both are without arms, and one without horses. I must request that the General-in-Chief will order sabers and pistols to be sent to me from Washington. There. is nothing here but Hallâs carbines, and they are without slings. The Third and Fourth New York Volunteers came here from Fort Monroe in a state of disorganization. I am doing all I can to restore order among them. They were recruited in cities, and this is a bad place for them.
DA GERI APR vw NT ETS Bn ~ HA p – KT Part y SP z Re : :
ERU SUM. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.âUNION. 557
E. -One has been shut up in the fort and the other is to be scattered as a
guard to the railroad bridges between Baltimore and Havre de Grace.
Very respectfully, yours, &c.,
Major-General, Commanding.
War DEPARTMENT,
E i Washington, August 8, 1861.
Brigadier-General ROSECRANS,
Commanding Western Virginia Department, Grafton, Va.:
SIR: The governor of Virginia having applied to the Department for
the arms, ammunition, and camp equipage recently captured in the operations in Western Virginia, for the purpose of arming and equipping