Official Records of the Rebellion

[p.92]

All the personnel and material of the army had been transferred from Harrison’s Landing to the different points of embarkation in the very brief period of five days without the slightest loss or damage. Porter’s troops sailed from Newport News on the 19th and 20th. Heintzelman’s corps sailed from Yorktown on the 21st. On that day I received the following telegram from the General-in-Chief:

WASHINGTON, August 21, 1862—6 p. m.

Leave such garrisons in Fort Monroe, Yorktown, &c., as you may deem proper. They will be replaced by new troops as rapidly as possible.

The forces of Burnside and Pope are hard pushed, and require aid as rapidly as you can send it. Come yourself as soon as you can.

By all means see that the troops sent have plenty of ammunition. We have no time here to supply them. Moreover, they may have to fight as soon as they land.

H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General, Commanding U. S. Army.

General MCCLELLAN.

To which the following are replies:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 21, 1862—7.30 p. m.

Your dispatch of 6 p. m. received. I have not lost an hour in sending troops, nor will I. Franklin is here, and I will try to get some of his troops on board to-night. I had already ordered all the ammunition forward.

I will put headquarters on board ship early to-morrow morning, so that I can leave at a moment’s notice. I hope that I can get off to-morrow. Shall I go in person to Aquia, or do you wish to see me first at Washington? If you wish it, I can probably ship quite an amount of ammunition for other troops than this army.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.

Major-General HALLECK, Washington, D. C.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 21, 1862—10.25 p. m.

I have ample supplies of ammunition for infantryand artillery, and will have it up in time. I can supply any deficiency that may exist in General Pope’s army. Quito a number of rifled field guns are on hand here.

The forage is the only question for you to attend to. Please have that ready for me at Aquia. I want many more schooners for cavalry horses. They should have water on hand when they come here.

If you have leisure, and there is no objection, please communicate to me fully the state of affairs and your plans. I will then be enabled to arrange details understandingly.

GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General.

Major-General HALLECK, Washington.

Immediately on reaching Fort Monroe I gave directions for strengthening the defenses of Yorktown to resist any attack from the direction of Richmond, and left General Keyes, with his corps, to perform the work and temporarily garrison the place.

[p.93]

I telegraphed as follows on the 22d:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 22, 1862—2.15 p. m.

Dispatch of to-day received. Franklin’s corps is embarking as rapidly as possible. Sumner’s corps is at Newport News, ready to embark as fast as transportation arrives. Keyes is still at Yorktown, putting it in a proper state of defense. I think that all of Franklin’s corps will get off to-day, and hope to commence with Sumner to-morrow. I shall then push off the cavalry and wagons.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major- General.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Washington, D. C.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 22, 1862—3.40 p. m.

Two good ordnance sergeants are needed immediately at Yorktown and Gloucester. The new defenses are arranged and commenced.

I recommend that 5,000 new troops be sent immediately to garrison York and Gloucester. They should be commanded by an experienced general officer, who can discipline and instruct them. About 900 should be artillery. I recommend that anew regiment, whose colonel is an artillery officer or graduate, be designated as heavy artillery, and sent there. A similar regiment is absolutely necessary here.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN
Major- General.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,
Commanding U. S. Army.

On the 23d Franklin’s corps sailed. I reported this in the following dispatch:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 23, 1862—1.30 p. m.

Franklin’s corps has started. I shall start for Aquia in about half an hour. No transports yet for Sumner’s corps.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major- General.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,
Commanding U. S. Army.