Official Records of the Rebellion

[p.101]

CAMP NEAR ALEXANDRIA,
August 30, 1862—11.30 a. m.

Your telegram of 9 a. m. received. Ever since General Franklin received notice that he was to march from Alexandria he has been endeavoring to get transportation from the quartermaster at Alexandria, but he has uniformly been told that there was none disposable, and his command marched without wagons. After the departure of his corps, he procured twenty wagons to carry some extra ammunition by unloading Banks’ supply train.

General Sumner endeavored, by application upon the Quartermaster’s Department, to get wagons to carry his reserve ammunition, but without success, and was obliged to march with what he could carry in his cartridge boxes.

I have this morning directed that all my headquarters wagons that are landed be at once loaded with ammunition for Sumner and Franklin, but they will not go far toward supplying the deficiency.

Eighty-five wagons were got together by the quartermasters last night, loaded with [p.101] subsistence, and sent forward at 1 a. m. with an escort via Annandale. Every effort has been made to carry out your orders promptly. The great difficulty seems to consist in the fact that the greater part of the transportation on hand at Alexandria and Washington has been needed for current supplies of the garrisons. Such is the state of the case as represented to me by the quartermasters, and it appears to be true. I take it for granted that this has not been properly explained to you.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major- General.

Major-General HALLECK, General-in-Chief.

On the morning of the 30th heavy artillery firing was heard in the direction of Fairfax Court-House, which I reported to the General-in-Chief.

At 11 a. m. the following telegram was sent:

CAMP NEAR ALEXANDRIA,
August 30, 1862—11 a. m.

Have ordered Sumner to leave one brigade in vicinity of Chain Bridge, and to move the rest via Columbia pike on Annandale and Fairfax Court-House. Is this the route you wish them to take? He and Franklin are both instructed to join Pope as promptly as possible. Shall Couch move out also when he arrives?

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General.

Major-General HALLECK, Washington.

On the same day I received the following:

WASHINGTON, August 30, 1862—1.45 p. m.

Ammunition, and particularly for artillery, must be immediately sent forward to Centreville for General Pope. It must be done with all possible dispatch.

H. W. HALLECK
General-in-chief.

General MCCLELLAN.

To which this reply was made:

CAMP NEAR ALEXANDRIA,
August 30, 1862—2.10 p. m.

I know nothing of the calibers of Pope’s artillery. All I can do is to direct my ordnance officer to load up all the wagons sent to him. I have already sent all my headquarters wagons. You will have to see that wagons are sent from Washington. I can do nothing more than give the order that every available wagon in Alexandria shall be loaded at once.

The order to the brigade of Sumner that I directed to remain near Chain Bridge and Tennallytown should go from your headquarters to save time. I understand you to intend it also to move. I have no sharpshooters except the guard around my camp. I have sent off every man but those, and will now send them with the train as you direct. I will also send my only remaining squadron of cavalry with General Sumner, I can do no more. You now have every man of the Army of the Potomac who is within my reach.

GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK.

At 10.30 p. in. the following telegram was sent:

CAMP NEAR ALEXANDRIA,
August 30, 1862—10.30 p. m.

I have sent to the front all my troops with the exception of Couch’s division, and have given the orders necessary to insure its being disposed of as you directed. I hourly expect the return of one of my aides, who will give authentic news from the field of battle. 

[p.102]

I cannot express to you the pain and mortification I have experienced to-day in listening to the distant sound of the firing of my men. As I can be of no further use here, I respectfully ask that, if there is a probability of the conflict being renewed to-morrow, I may be permitted to go to the scene of battle with my staff, merely to be with my own men, if nothing more; they will fight none the worse for my being with them. If it is not deemed best to intrust me with the command even of my own army, I simply ask to be permitted to share their fate on the field of battle. Please reply to this to-night.

I have been engaged for the last few hours in doing what I can to make arrangements for the wounded. I have started out all the ambulances now landed. As I have sent my escort to the front, I would be glad to take some of Gregg’s cavalry with me, if allowed to go.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major- General.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,
commanding U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.