Unknown to J. H. Tayyor, October 3, 1863

Lieut. Col. J. H. Tayyor, Chief of Staff, and Assistant Adjutant-General:

CoLonEt: I have the honor to state, in answer to your inquiries, that in the raids mentioned by you as occurring from September 8 to October 1, inclusive, none of the public property for which I am accountable was captured or destroyed by the enemy. Its safety has been secured, no doubt by proper precautions on my part, as my orders are not to allow a train of wagons to go beyond the defenses proper without applying for a sufficient military guard for the same, which has been always granted to me.

On one of the occasions referred to (September 28), 8 mules which had been transferred to the authorities managing the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, by Captain Ferguson, assistant quartermaster, in charge of depot at Alexandria, were captured while grazing about three-fourths of a mile from Edsall’s Hill. This is the only quartermaster’s property captured or destroyed in this department during the above-mentioned period, to my knowledge.

I am firmly convinced that no matter how large a force may be detailed to guard the railroads, the farmer guerrillas within our lines will find occasions when they can, with comparative safety to themselves, make a raid to plunder and destroy public property. My employés south of the Potomac are perfectly familiar with these pretended loyal and peaceable farmers, and I most

respectfully, but