Philip S. T. Geo. Cocke to Robert S. Garnett, April 19, 1861

Capt. H. G. WrieGHt, Corps of Engineers, Washington ;

Sir: You are selected as an engineer officer of high science and judgment, to repair promptly to the United States navy-yard at Gosport, Va., and to tender your professional services to the commodore there in command in designing and executing a plan of defense for the same.

You will find the commodore instructed by his Department to expect you in your professional capacity.

J think it best that you should first call at Fort Monroe and consult Colonel Dimick on sending a portion of’ its garrison to assist in the defense of the navy-yard.

If two volunteer regiments shall have joined him, he may spare one of them for that purpose perhaps, but this must depend on the threatening circumstances about him; and if but one volunteer regiment has joined, the colonel may, after consulting you, deem it safe to detach two or three companies of regulars for duty at the navy-yard. Show him this letter, and give him a copy of it for his warrant.

Both of you will bear in mind that, although the navy-yard and its contents are deemed to be of very great importance, Fort Monroe is still more so to the Union.

You will lose no opportunity of reporting to the Adjutant-General

your progress in carrying out these instructions.

MAY 5, 1861.—Evacuation of Alexandria, Va., by the Confederate forces.

No, 1.—Brig. Gen. P. St. George Cocke, C. 8: A., with correspondence. No. 2.—Lieut. Col.’ A. S. Taylor, Va. Vols., transmitted by General Cocke.

No. 1. Reports of Brig. Gen. P. St. George Cocke, 0. 8. A., with correspondence.

HEADQUARTERS Potomac DEPARTMENT, Culpeper Court-House, May 6, 1861—10 p. m. For the information of the commanding general-in-chief, I herewith transmit a copy of the letter of instructions sent by me on the 5th instant, by an express, “by rail,” to Colonel Taylor, commanding at

Alexandria. I report, in this connection, that I know the fact that Colonel Taylor received that letter of instruction upon the arrival of the messenger at Alexandria, on the 5th instant, by the regular train from this place on the morning of that day. Mr. F. G. Skinner, now here, and who was on the 5th instant in Alexandria, is my authority for the above statement; and Mr. Skinner tells me that he saw that letter of instruction in the hands of Colonel Taylor, and discussed with him the purport of it prior to the movement of the troops out of Alexandria on the afternoon or evening of that day (yesterday). I this day sent by telegraph to the commanding general-in-chief a full abstract of the only letter ‘or communication I have received from Colonel Taylor alluding to or explaining the movement of the troops out of Alexandria. Nor have I been able, from any other source, except that furnished me by the arrival of Mr. Skinner, direct from Alexandria, by the train of this morning, to learn the cause of that movement; and, so far as I am informed up to this moment, there was no proper or justifiable cause whatsoever for any such movement. After waiting for further intelligence and receiving none, and duly considering and weighing all the circumstances and bearing of that movement with the information before me, I have ordered the return of the troops, as communicated by telegram, a duplicate of which has just been transmitted to the general-in-chief.

Very respectfully, your most obedient,