Official Records of the Rebellion

[171] The army commenced the march for Yorktown and Fort Monroe August 14, each command having been directed to carry with it at least eight days’ rations. Early on the morning of the 15th the herd of beef cattle, under Captain Woodward, started for Yorktown via the Pontoon bridge over the Chickahominy River, and arrived in that vicinity on the 17th. [172] On the evening of the 15th, under the direction of Captain Bell, the depot at Westover was broken up, and the supply vessels yet there proceeded to Fort Monroe, the propellers taking the sail vessels and barges in tow. Many of our vessels had previously been sent down the river by the quartermaster’s department. For some time we had had from fifty to sixty days’ rations for the entire army, ashore and afloat, at Westover. Captain Bell arrived at Fort Monroe on the 16th, and assisted Captain Taylor in discharging vessels and arranging for issuing to the troops on their arrival from above.

On the 18th Capt. A. P. Porter proceeded with a party and several vessels laden with subsistence to Yorktown, where he assisted Capt. E. W. Coffin, the depot commissary of subsistence at that place, in landing stores to supply any wants of the troops passing and to embark at that point.

On the 21st Lieut. Col. G. Bell (promoted from captain) left Fort Monroe and arrived at Aquia Creek the next day. Lieut. Col. A. P. Porter (promoted from captain) arrived at same place the next day from Yorktown. At Aquia Creek every possible assistance was given to the officers of the department on duty there in discharging stores and sending them to the front. On the 28th Lieutenant-Colonel Bell, with his party and a number of supply vessels, arrived at Alexandria.

August 30 Capt. B. Granger was placed in charge of a supply train of seventy five wagons for General Pope’s army, with orders to proceed to Manassas. He arrived at Centreville while that army was engaged in the second battle of Bull Run. He turned over most of his stores to Capt. A. S. Austin, commissary of General Hooker’s division. The brigades of Generals Newton and Hancock were also supplied at Centreville.

September 1 Captain Wilson was sent to Fairfax Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, to take charge of the depot previously established at that place for the purpose of supplying the troops of General Pope’s army. On the afternoon of the 2d he received orders from Col. E. G. Beckwith, chief commissary of subsistence of that army, to “issue stores to all who required them, but load up the cars with the greatest dispatch, and when loaded go to Alexandria.” Captain Wilson complied with his instructions to the satisfaction of all concerned.

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