Robt. Williams to John W. Geary, September 12, 1861

Colonel GEARY, Twenty-eighth Regiment Pa. Vols., Point of Rocks, Md. :

SIR :.I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date.* I have submitted it to Major-General Banks, who instructs me to say that he has requested General Stone to send you two pieces of cannon, if they can be spared.

I send you 10,000 caps for Major Gould. The general instructs me

_ to say that you will at once send to these headquarters the reasons why you have kept Major Gould’s command this long without reporting the deficiency.

The general instructs me to say that, having selected you to fill a very difficult and exceedingly important position, on account of qualities he

x believed you possessed, he is surprised at the feeling you evince at the

first approach of an enemy in any force. He directs me to say that, in case you are attacked by a greatly superior force, you will defend the crossings over which you have command as long as it is possible for you to do so without endangering the safety of your whole command. In case you are forced to retreat, you will, if possible, fall baek upon General Stone, at Poolesville, and for this purpose will keep yourself in daily communication with him. Should you be unable to unite with General Stone by the intervention of an enemy in sufficient numbers to oppose your progress, you will retire upon Monocacy Junction, break-. ing up the railroads and cutting the telegraph wires as you retire.

The general instructs me to say that he expects you to make good your position along the line of your pickets against any force not exceeding 3,000 men. Your wagons will be sent you as soon as arrangements can be made for them to leave. He instructs me to say that you will communicate with these headquarters daily the state of your command along the river, and for this reason are authorized to employ two reliable messengers.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,