HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, Major-General SMITH, Commanding Eighteenth Army Corps: General Weitzel showed me your telegram in relation to forwarding your suggestions in regard to negro troops. My reasons for not forwarding them sooner are that I had a conversation upon the subject with the lieutenant-general, in which your recommendations were substantially to be carried out, as a portion of them have already been. The colored battery has been withdrawn from the front and sent for drill to Portsmouth, in order that the experiment of using negroes for artillery may be tested fully. A very competent brigadier-general for those troops under your command has been appointed, and they will be at once reorganized, and I doubt not the lieutenant-general will attach to our command the negro troops now in General Burnside's corps. The delay has also been rendered necessary by the expected arrival of other negro troops in this department. I beg leave to assure you that it was from no disrespect to your suggestions, as they are valuable, but from a belief that the interests of the service required a little delay, that they have not been forwarded. After receiving this, if you prefer, you are at liberty to forward them directly, with a copy of this note. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General BUTLER: I propose to avail myself to-night of ten days' leave of absence granted me by lieutenant-general commanding Armies of the United States. I have turned over this command to Brig. Gen. J. H. Martindale. WM. F. SMITH, Major-General. CITY POINT, VA., July 9, 1864. COMMANDING OFFICER, Fortress Monroe : Please inform me by telegraph of the arrival of the first transport with the advance of the Nineteenth Army Corps from New Orleans. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. COMMANDING OFFICER, WASHINGTON, July 9, 1864–11.30 p. m. Fortress Monroe: Troops arriving from New Orleans will be sent immediately forward to Washington. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HDQRS, DEFENSES OF NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, Maj. J. S. GATES, Bowers' Hill: MAJOR: You will suspend the movement ordered for to-morrow and concentrate the force ordered for your expedition on the defensive line in front of Suffolk, reporting to Colonel Lord, Twentieth New York Cavalry. By order of Brigadier-General Vogdes: S. L. MCHENRY, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. POINT LOOKOUT, MD., July 9, 1864-7 p.m. Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War: All quiet here. Five hundred and two prisoners of war were sent to New York this p. m. JAMES BARNES, Brigadier General, Commanding District. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, New Berne, N. C., July 9, 1864. Commander W. H. MACOMB, U. S. Navy, Senior Naval Officer, Sounds of North Carolina: SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have this moment received a communication from Col. D. W. Wardrop, commanding at Roanoke Island, inclosing a communication from you relative to an improper traffic going on in the region of Columbia, in Hyde County. I am obliged to you for the information and shall take immediate measures to stop the trade. To accomplish [this] I have ordered the quartermaster's steamer Ella May, with two smooth brass 6-pounders aboard, to proceed to Roanoke Island and report to Colonel Wardrop, who I have directed to place on board a suitable number of gunners and sharpshooters, in command of a competent officer. He will then send them to the region referred to with such orders as he may deem best to accomplish the purpose. Upon the return of the expedition Colonel Wardrop has been authorized to detain the Ella May at Roanoke Island for temporary service. He may with her be able to render you much assistance in communicating with the fleet in various parts of the Sounds. Colonel Wardrop also incloses a letter from you relative to the man R. Oberman. His case will be attended to, for I mean, with your kind co-operation, to put a stop to all this illegal traffic. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, I. N. PALMER, Brigadier-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, Col. D. W. WARDROP, New Berne, N. C., July 9, 1864. Ninety-ninth New York Volunteers, Commanding Sub-District of the Albemarle, Roanoke Island: COLONEL: The commanding general directs me to acknowledge the receipt this day of your communication and inclosures relative to the traffic going on in the region of Columbia, and also of Elizabeth. The general to-day sends you the steamer Ella May, the best light-draught for the purpose here, with two brass 6-pounders and 125 rounds per gun. He desires you to place on board a good commissioned officer, with a suitable number of gunners and sharpshooters, and send the whole to destroy the bridge at Columbia, and inflict such other damage upon this line of communication with the rebel army as will best prevent the sending of supplies to the enemy. The exact mode of procedure must, of course, in a measure, be left with the officer in charge. You will, however, give him most unmistakable orders against pillaging and plundering. The matter of the man Oberman the commanding general will attend to at the earliest opportunity. The steamer Ella May you are authorized to detain temporarily for service with you after her return from this expedition. The commanding general has informed Commodore Macomb of this, and said that "Colonel Wardrop may with her be able to render you much-assistance in communicating with the fleet in various parts of the sound," so that if at any time you are able to aid the navy with her please do so. When the Ella May is finally ordered to New Berne you can retain her guns to mount in the fieldworks. They are ordered to be invoiced to your ordnance officer. In accordance with your request, the general has directed the ordnance officer to invoice to your ordnance officer six 32-pounder smooth, long, two 32-pounder carronades, and four 6-pounder brass guns, with 125 rounds of ammunition for each gun, and carriages, implements, &c... complete. The horses will be sent you as soon as possible. Captain James' attention has been called to the matter of the diseased animals, and he will take measures to regulate this. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. Lieutenant-General GRANT: WASHINGTON, July 10, 1864-2.30 p. m. Your dispatch to General Halleck referring to what I may think in the present emergency is shown me. General Halleck says we have absolutely no force here fit to go to the field. He thinks that with the 100-days' men and invalids we have here we can defend Washington, and scarcely Baltimore. Besides these there are about 8,000, not very reliable, under Howe, at Harper's Ferry, with Hunter approaching that point very slowly, with what number I suppose you know better than I. Wallace, with some odds and ends and part of what came up with Ricketts, was so badly beaten yesterday at Monocacy that what is left can attempt no more than to defend Baltimore. What we shall get in from Pennsylvania and New York will scarcely be worth counting, I fear. Now, what I think is that you should provide to retain your hold where you are, certainly, and bring the rest with you personally, and make a vigorous effort to destroy the enemy's force in this vicinity. I think there is really a fair chance to do this if the movement is prompt. This is what I think, upon your suggestion, and is not an order. A. LINCOLN, President of the United States. A. LINCOLN, CITY POINT, VA., July 10, 1864-10.30 p. m. President of the United States: I have sent from here a whole corps, commanded by an excellent officer, besides over 3,000 other troops. One division of the Nineteenth Corps, 6,000 strong, is now on its way to Washington, one steamer loaded with these troops having passed Fort Monroe to-day. They will probably reach Washington to-morrow night. This force under Wright will be able to compete with the whole force with Ewell [Early]. Before more troops can be sent from here Hunter will be able to join Wright, in rear of the enemy, with at least 10,000 men, besides a force sufficient to hold Maryland Heights. I think, on reflection, it would have a bad effect for me to leave here, and with General Ord ́at Baltimore, and Hunter and Wright with the forces following the enemy up, could do no good. I have great faith that the enemy will never be able to get back with much of his force. U. S. GRANT, CITY POINT, VA., July 10, 1864-12.30 p.m. Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff : (Received 9 p. m.) I have sent no troops to Baltimore except Ricketts' division and the dismounted cavalry. Two divisions, the balance of the Sixth Corps, are now on their way to Washington, the advance having sailed at 10 a. m. The remainder are embarking and starting as fast as the steamers are loaded. I have sent General Ord to Washington. I would give more for him as a commander in the field than most of the generals now in Maryland. Probably it would be well to send him to Baltimore to command and hold the place, forcing into service for the purpose, if necessary, all citizens capable of bearing arms. He should also have discretion to move out against the enemy. All other force, it looks to me, should be collected in rear of the enemy about Edwards Ferry and follow him up and cut off retreat if possible. All losses sustained by loyal citizens can be paid back to them by contributions collected from rebel sympathizers after the enemy is got rid of. U. S. GRANT, CITY POINT, VA., July 10, 1864-1.30 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff: General Orders, No. 225, of July 7, 1864, would take the Eighteenth Corps from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and leave it a separate command, thus giving a third army in the field. As the Tenth Corps is also serving here, I would not desire this change made, but simply want General Smith assigned to the command of the Eighteenth Corps, and if there is no objection to a brigadier-general holding such a positon, General W. T. H. Brooks to the command of the Tenth Corps, leaving both these corps in the department as before, the head quarters of which is at Fortress Monroe. When the Nineteenth Corps arrives, I will add it to the same department. I will take the liberty of suspending this order until I hear again. I will ask to have General Franklin assigned to the active command in the field, under General Butler's orders, as soon as he is fit for duty. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. WASHINGTON, D. C., July 10, 1864-3.30 p. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT, City Point: Your telegram of 6 p. m. yesterday is received. Whether you had better come here or remain there is a question upon which I cannot advise. What you say about getting into Early's rear is perfectly correct, but unfortunately we have no forces here for the field. All such forces were sent to you long ago. What we have here are raw militia, invalids, convalescents from the hospitals, a few dismounted batteries, and the dismounted and disorganized cavalry sent up from James River. With these we expect to defend our immense depots of stores and the line of intrenchments around the city; but what can we do with such forces in the field against a column of 20,000 veterans? One-half of the men cannot march at all. The only men fit for the field was Ricketts' division, which has been defeated and badly cut up under Wallace. If the remains can hold Baltimore until we can re-enforce it I shall be satisfied. I sent invalid troops from here this morning to assist them. I can draw nothing from Harper's Ferry until Hunter effects his junction. When Hunter's army gets within reach and the Sixth Corps arrives what you propose can probably be done. Sullivau's division has reached Hedgesville, and Crook's is passing Cumberland. How strong these are, and where the remainder of Hunter's army is, I cannot ascertain. Rumor says that it has lost almost everything and is badly cut up. Only one battalion of heavy artillery has reached here; the other two went with Ricketts, and what is left of them is probably retreating on Baltimore. We are impressing horses to remount the cavalry. It arrives destitute of everything; there is necessary delay in preparing it for service. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. Major-General MEADE: CITY POINT, July 10, 1864, A telegram of the 9th from Baltimore, 11.30 a. m., states that the operator at Monocacy reports severe fighting near that point, the advance of the enemy being within three-quarters of a mile of Monocacy on the road from Frederick to Georgetown. Another telegram at 1 p. m., from a point thirty miles east of Monocacy, states that the reports from Monocacy by the last train that left that place were that a battle was then in progress. Later advices report that our troops under General Wallace were driven back. The rebel troops are estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000 strong, under Breckinridge, Brad. Johnson, and McCausland. Telegrams of to-day report our forces still |