Robert Patterson to Lorenzo Thomas, April 21, 1861

Col. L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, Washington:

CoLONEL: As I fear my letters and dispatches have not reached you,

I therefore, by aid of a friend, send a special messenger. On receipt of your telegram of yesterday I ‘vent to the transportation office and saw John Edgar Thomson and §S. M. Felton, esqs., presidents of the Penn_ sylvania Central and the Philadelphia and Baltimore Railroads, and gave directions for the Eighth Massachusetts and Seventh New York to go via Annapolis to Washington. I could not find Colonel Lefferts, but saw General Butler, gave him the instructions, and desired him to communieate them to Colonel Lefferts. I requested General Butler to halt one

Z yy, regiment at Annapolis and the others at the junction; to hold both positions, guard the road, and report to Lieutenant-General Scott for instructions.

I venture respectfully to suggest, for the consideration of the Generalin-Chief, that inasmuch as the force at my disposal is entirely inadequate to open the way and guard the railroad from Gunpowder to Baltimore— and as [learn that all the regiments from the North and East are going by sea from Eastern ports I can hope for no substantial re-enforcements from that quarter—it will be best to adopt as our line of communication the Baltimore Railroad from here to Havre de Grace, the néw boat of the rail company, with propellers and Government steamers, well armed, to serve as escorts from here to Annapolis. The road from Annapolis to Washington can be protected without great difficulty, as there are no bridges, and a few small war steamers can keep the Susquehanna and Chesapeake clear, and, if need be, aid Fort McHenry and threaten Baltimore, also blockade it; the road from here to Havre de Grace oceupied and protected; a battery erected or war vessel (steamer, if it can be spared) to command the Susquehanna and cover Cecil and Havre de at Cecil or Perryville, the railroad terminus at the Susquehanna,

The garrison at Fort McHenry should prevent any steamboat, steam vessel, or any other craft hostile (or that the commander has reason to suppose hostile), from leaving Baltimore.

The Government forthwith to take possession of the railway line from Washington to Annapolis.

When we have sufficient troops and provisions, they shall be concentrated at Washington by means of the Annapolis route. The Government can take possession of the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the railway lines from Baltimore to Harrisburg, and thereby secure a safe and speedy means of communicating with Washington.

These suggestions are with diffidence submitted to the better judgment of the General-in-Chief, who will at once see whether they are judicious or otherwise.

I have also to suggest that in my opinion it is expedient to declare or put the entire line, and ten, twenty, or thirty miles on each side, or the entire department under my command, under martial law; and if the General concurs, I ask his approval, or rather that he will give the order.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,