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of bringing order out of confusion, reassigning troops and commands, projecting and throwing up defensive works, receiving and organizing, equipping and providing for the new levies arriving in the city.

The following table exhibits similar data for the periods stated, including the troops in Maryland and Delaware:

DATE.

The valuable services of these officers in their various departments, during this and throughout the subsequent periods of the history of the army of the Potomac, can hardly be sufficiently appreciated. Their names and duties will be given in another Dec. 1, 1861... part of this report, and they are commended to the favorable notice of the War Department.

The restoration of order in the city of Washington was effected through the appointment of a provost marshal, whose authority was supported by the few regular troops within my command. These troops were thus in position to act as a reserve, to be sent to any point of attack where their services might be most wanted. The energy and ability displayed by Col. A. Porter, the provost marshal, and his assistants, and the strict discharge of their duty by the troops, produced the best results, and Washington soon became one of the most quiet cities in the Union.

The new levies of infantry, upon arriving in Washington, were formed into provisional brigades and placed in camp in the suburbs of the city for equipment, instruction, and discipline. As soon as regiments were in a fit condition for transfer to the forces across the Potomac, they were assigned to the brigades serving there. Brig. Gen. F. J. Porter was at first assigned to the charge of the provisional brigades. Brig. Gen. A. E. Burnside was the next officer assigned this duty, from which, however, he was soon relieved by Brig. Gen. S. Casey, who continued in charge of the newly arriving regiments until the army of the Potomac departed for the Peninsula, in March, 1862. The newly arriving artillery troops reported to Brig. Gen. William F. Barry, the chief of artillery, and the cavalry to Brig. Gen. George Stoneman, the chief of cavalry.

By the 15th of October, the number of troops in and about Washington, inclusive of the garrison of the city and Alexandria, the city guard and the forces on the Maryland shore of the Potomac below Washington, and as far as Cumberland above, the troops under the command of Gen. Dix at Baltimore and its dependencies, were as follows:

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133, 201

9,290
1,156

Jan. 1, 1862...
Feb. 1, 1862...
Mar. 1, 1862...

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15,102 2,189 11,470 198,213 14,790 2,260 11,707 219,707

190,806 14,363 2,917 14,110 222, 196 193,142 13,167 2,108 13,570 221,987 For convenience of reference the strength of the army of the Potomac at subsequent periods is given.

Date.

For Duty.

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Officers.

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Aggregate.

By Authority.

Without authority.

April 304.725 104,610 233 5,385 41
June 20 4.665 101,160 496.10,541 44
July 103,834 85,715 695 15,959 60

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GRAND AGGREGATE, PRESENT AND ABSENT.
April 30. 126,387. Including Franklin.
June 20. 145,813. Including McCall and Dix.
July 10. 144.886. Including two brigades of Shiel's di

vision absent, 5,354 men.

In organizing the army of the Potomac, and preparing it for the field, the first step taken was to organize the infantry into brigades of four regiments each; retaining the newly arrived regiments on the Maryland side until their armament and equip ment were issued and they had obtained some little elementary instruction, before assigning them permanently to brigades. When the organization of the brigades was well established, and the troops somewhat disciplined and instructed, divisions, of three brigades each were gradually formed, as is elsewhere stated in this report, although I was always in favor of the organization into army corps as an abstract principle. I did not desire to form them until the army had been for some little time in the field, in order to enable the general officers first to acquire the requisite experience as division commanders on active service, and that I might be able to decide from actual trial who were best fitted to exercise these impor tant commands.

For a similar reason I carefully abstained from making any recommendations for the promotion of officers to the grade of majorgeneral. 8,404 When new batteries of artillery arrived 132,051 they also were retai ed in Washington

143,647

until their armament and equipment were completed, and their instruction sufficiently advanced to justify their being assigned to divisions The same course was pursued in regard to cavalry. I regret that circumstances have delayed the chief of cavalry, Gen. George Stoneman, in furnishing his report upon the organization of that arm of service. It will, however, be forwarded as soon as completed, and will, doubtless, show that the difficult and important duties intrusted to him were efficiently performed. He encountered and overcame, as far as it was possible, continual and vexatious obstacles arising from the great deficiency of cavalry arms and equipments, and the entire inefficiency of many of the regimental officers first appointed; this last difficulty was, to a considerable extent, overcome in the cavalry, as well as in the infantry and artillery, by the continual and prompt action of courts-martial and boards of examination.

As rapidly as circumstances permitted, every cavalry soldier was armed with a sabre and revolver, and at least two squadrons in every regiment with carbines, It was intended to assign at least one regiment of cavalry to each division of the active army, besides forming a cavalry reserve of the regular regiments and some picked regiments of volunter cavalry. Circumstances beyond my control rendered it impossible to carry out this intention fully, and the cavalry force serving with the army in the field was never as large as it ought to have been.

4, and the tenth New York volunteers, which joined subsequently. They remained from the commencement under the command of Brig. Gen. George Sykes, major, third infantry, United States army.

ARTILLERY.

The creation of an adequate artillery establishment for an army of so large proportions was a formidable undertaking; and had it not been that the country possessed in the regular service a body of accomplished and energetic artillery officers, the task would have been almost hopeless.

The charge of organizing this most important arm was confided to Major (afterwards Brig.-Gen.) William F. Barry, chief of artillery, whose industry and zeal achieved the best results. The report of Gen. Barry is appended among the accompanying documents. By referring to it, it will be observed that the following principles were adopted as the basis of organization:

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1. That the proportion of artillery should be in proportion of at least two and one-half pieces to 1,000 men, to be expanded, if possible, to three pieces to 1,000 men.

"2. That the proportion of rifled guns should be restricted to the system of the. United States ordnance department; and of Parrot and the smooth bores' (with the exception of a few howitzers for special service) to be exclusively the twelvepounder gun, of the model of 1857, variously called the gun-howitzer,' the 'light twelve-pounder,' or the Napoleon.'

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3. That each field battery should, if practicable, be composed of six guns, and none to be less than four guns, and in all cases the guns of each battery should be

of uniform calibre.

"4. That the field batteries were to be assigned to divisions, and not to brigades. and in proportion of four to each division, of which one was to be a battery of regulars, the remainder of volunteers, the captain of the regular battery to be the commandant of artillery of the division. In the event of several divisions constituting an army corps, at least one-half of the divisional artillery was to constitute the reserve artillery of the corps.

It was determined to collect the regular infantry to form the nucleus of a reserve. The advantage of such a body of troops at a critical moment, especially in an army constituted mainly of new levies, imperfectly disciplined, has been frequently illustrated in military history, and was brought to the attention of the country at the first battle of Manassas. I have not been disappointed in the estimate formed of the value of these troops. I have always found them to be relied on. When ever they have been brought under fire they have shown the utmost gallantry and tenacity. The regular infantry, which had been collected from distant posts and which had been recruited as rapidly as the slow progress of recruiting for the regular service would allow, added to the small battalion with McDowell's army, which I found at Washington on my arrival, amounted, on the 30th of August, to 1,040 men; on the 28th of February, 1862, to 2,682, and on the 30th of April, to 4,603. On the 17th of May, 1862, they were assigned to Gen. Porter's corps for organi- "6. That the amount of ammunition to zation as a division, with the fifth regiment accompany field batteries was not to be New York volunteers, which joined Mayless than four hundred rounds per gun.

"5. That the artillery reserve of the whole army should consist of one hundred guns, and should comprise, besides a sufficient number of light mounted batterics,' all the guns of position, and until the cavalry were massed, all the horse artillery.

"7. A siege train of fifty pieces. This was subsequently expanded for special service at the siege of Yorktown, to very nearly one hundred pieces, and comprised the unusual calibres and enormously heavy weight of metal of two 200-pounders, five 100-pounders, and ten 13-inch sea-coast

mortars."

As has been before stated, the chief of artillery reports the whole of the field artillery of the army of the Potomac, July 28, 1861, was comprised of nine imperfectly equipped batteries, of thirty guns, 650 men, and 400 horses. In March, 1862, when the whole army took the field, it consisted of ninety-two batteries, of 520 guns, 12,500 men, and 11,000 horses, fully equipped and in readiness for active field service; of the whole force thirty batteries were regulars, and sixty-two batteries volunteers. During the short period of seven months, all of this immense amount of material was issued by the ordnance department and placed in the hands of the artillery troops after their arrival in Washington. About one-fourth of all the volunteer batteries brought with them from their respective States a few guns and carriages, but they were nearly all of such peculiar calibre as to lack uniformity with the more modern and more serviceable ordnance with which the other batteries were armed, and they therefore had to be withdrawn and replaced by more suitable material. While about one-sixth came supplied with horses and harness, less than one-tenth were apparently fully equipped for service when they reported; and every one of these required the supply of many deficiencies of material, and very extensive instruction in the theory and practice of their special arm.

The operations on the Peninsula by the army of the Potomac commenced with a full field artillery force of fifty-two batteries of two hundred and ninety-nine guns. To this must be added the field artillery of Franklin's division of McDowell's corps, which joined a few days before the capture Vof Yorktown, but was not disembarked from its transports for service until after the battle of Williamsburg, and the field artillery of McCall's division of McDowell's corps, (four batteries, twenty-two guns,) which joined in June, a few days before the battle of Mechanicsville, (June 26, 1862,) making a grand total of field artillery, at any time with the army of the Peninsula, of sixty batteries of three hundred and forty-three guns. With this large force, saving in six corps d'armee of eleven divisions, and the artillery reserve, the only general and field officers were one brigadier general, four colonels, three lieutenant colonels, and three majors, a num

ber obviously insufficient, and which impaired to a great degree, in consequence of the want of rank and official influence of the commanders of corps and division artillery, the efficiency of the arm. As this faulty organization can be suitably corrected only by legislative action, it is earnestly hoped that the attention of the proper authorities may at an early day be invited to it.

When there were so many newly or ganized volunteer field batteries, many of whom received their first and only instruction in the intrenched camps covering Washington during the three or four inclement months of the winter of 1861-62, there was, of course, much to be improved. Many of the volunteer batteries, however, evinced such zeal and intelligence, and availed themselves so industriously of the instructions of the regular officers, their commanders, and the example of the regular batteries, their associates, that they made rapid progress, and attained a degreee of proficiency highly creditable.

The designations of the different batteries of artillery, both regular and volunteer, follow within a few pages.

The following distribution of regiments and batteries was made, as a preliminary organization of the forces at hand, shortly after my arrival in Washington. The infantry, artillery, aud cavalry, as fast as collected and brought into primary organi zation, were assigned to brigades and divisions, as indicated in the subjoined statements.

Organization of division of the Potomac, August 4, 1861.

Brig. Gen. Hunter's Brigade.-23d, 25th, 35th, and 37th regiments New York volunteers.

Brig. Gen. Heintzelman's Brigade.5th regiment Maine volunteers, 16th, 26th, and 27th regiments New York volunteers, and Tidball's battery, (A,) 2d United States artillery.

Brig. Gen. W. T. Sherman's Brigade. 9th and 14th regiments Massachusetts vol. unteers, DeKalb regiment New York vol unteers, 4th regiment Michigan volunteers, Hamilton's battery, (E,) 3d United States artillery, and company 1, 2d United States cavalry.

Brig Gen. Kearney's Brigade.—1st 2d, and 3d regiments New Jersey volunteers, Green's battery, (G,) 2d United States artillery, and company G, 2d United States cavalry.

Brig. Gen. Hooker's Brigade.—1st and 11th regiments Massachusetts volunteers, 2d regiment New Hampshire volunteers, and 26th regiment Pennsylvania volunteers.

Col. Key's Brigade.-22d, 24th, and

30th regiment New York volunteers, and 14th regiment New York State militia.

Brig. Gen. Franklin's Brigade.-15th, 18th, 31st, and 32d regiments New York volunteers, Platt's battery, (M,) 2d United States artillery, and company C, New York (Lincoln) cavalry.

States infantry, 8th and 1st companies United States infantry, and Sturgis' rifles (Illinois volunteers.)

4. BANK'S DIVISION. Cavalry. Four companies 3d regiment New York cavalry, (Van Allen's.)

Col. Blenker's Brigade.-8th and 27th regiments New York volunteers, 27th regiment Pennsylvania volunteers, and Garibaldi Guard, New York volunteers. Col. Richardson's Brigade.-12th regi-1st Rhode Island artillery. ment New York volunteers, and 2d and 3d regiments Michigan volunteers.

Artillery. Best's battery E, 4th United States artillery, detachment 9th New York artillery, Matthew's battery E, 1st Pennsylvania artillery, Tompkin's battery A,

Brig. Gen. Stone's Brigade.-34th and Tammany regiments New York volunteers, 1st regiment Minnesota volunteers, and 2d regiment New York State Militia.

Col. Wm. F. Smith's Brigade.-2d and 3d regiments Vermont volunteers, 6th regiment Maine volunteers, 33d regiment New York volunteers, company H, 2d United States cavalry, and Captain Mott's New York battery.

Col. Couch's Brigade.-2d regiment Rhode Island volunteers, 7th and 10th regiments Massachusetts volunteers, and 36th regiment New York volunteers.

The 2d regiment Maine, the 2d regiment Wisconsin, and the 13th regiment New York volunteers, stationed at Fort Corco

ran.

The 21st regiment New York volunteers, stationed at Fort Runyon.

The 17th regiment New York volunteers, stationed at Fort Ellsworth.

By October the new levies had arrived in sufficient numbers, and the process of organization so far carried on that the construction of divisions had been effected.

The following statement exhibits the composition of the army, October 15, 1861.

Organization of army of the Potomac,
October 15, 1861.

1. Brig. Gen. George Stoneman's cavalry command.- 5th United States cavalry, 4th Pennsylvania cavalry, Oneida cavalry, (one company,) 11th Pennsylvania cavalry, (Harlan's,) and Barker's Illinois cavalry, (one company.)

2. Col. H. J. Hunt's artillery reserve.Batteries L, A, and B, 2d United States artillery, batteries K and F, 3d United States artillery, battery K, 4th United States artillery, battery H, 1st United States artillery, and battery A, 5th United States artillery.

3. CITY GUARD, brig. gen. anDREW PORTER. Cavalry.-Companies A and E, 4th United States cavalry.

Artillery.-Battery K, 5th United States

artillery.

Infantry.--Abercrombie's brigade: 12th Massachusetts, 12th and 16th Indiana, and 30th Pennsylvania volunteers. Stiles's brigade: 3d Wisconsin, 29th Pennsylvania, and 13th Massachusetts volunteers, and 9th New York State militia. Gordon's brigade: 2d Massachusetts, 28th and 19th New York, 5th Connecticut, 46th and 28th Pennsylvania, and 1st Maryland vol unteers.

M'DOWELL'S DIVISION.
Cavalry.-2d New York cavalry, (Har
ris's Light,) Col. Davis.

G, 1st United States artillery.
Artillery-Battery M, 2d, and battery

Infantry.-Keys's brigade: 14th New York State Militia, and 22d, 24th, and 30th New York volunteers. Wadsworth's brigade: 12th, 21st, 23d, and 35th New York volunteers. King's brigade: 2d, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, and 19th Indiana vol

unteers.

HEINTZELMAN'S DIVISION.

Cavalry.-1st New Jersey cavalry, Coi.
Halsted.

Artillery.-Thompson's battery C, United
States artillery.

Infantry.-Richardson's brigade: 2d, 3d, and 5th Michigan, and 37th New York volunteers. Sedgwick's brigade: 3d and 4th Maine, and 38th and 40th New York volunteers. Jameson's brigade; 32d, 63d, 61st, and 45th Pennsylvania volunteers, and Wild Cat reserves, (Pennsylvania Volunteers.)

F. J. PORTER'S DIVISION.
Cavalry.-3d Pennsylvania cavalry, Col.
Averill, and 8th Pennsylvania cavalry, Col.
Gregg.

Artillery.-Battery E, 2d, and battery, *E, 3d United States artillery.

Infantry.-Morell's brigade: 33d Pennsylvania, 4th Michigan, 9th Massachusetts,

and 4th New York volunteers. Martindale's brigade: 13th New York, 2d Maine, and 18th Massachusetts volunteers, and DeKalb regiment New York volunteers. Butterfield's brigade: 50th New York,. 83d Pennsylvania, (Col. McLean,) 17th

Infantry.-2d and 3d battalions United, *This battery was transferred to Sherman's expedition

and 25th New York volunteers, and Stockton's independent Michigan regiment.

FRANKLIN'S DIVISION.

Cavalry-1st New York cavalry, Col. McReynolds.

Artillery.-Batteries D and G, 2d United States artillery, and Hexamer's battery, (New Jersey volunteers.)

Infantry.-Kearney's brigade: 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th New Jersey volunteers. Slocum's brigade; 16th, 26th, and 27th New York, and 6th Maine volunteers. Newton's brigade: 15th, 18th, 31st, and 32d New York volunteers.

STONE'S DIVISION.

Cavalry.-Six companies 3d New York (Van Allen) cavalry.

Artillery.-Kirby's battery I, 1st United States, Vaughn's battery B, 1st Rhode Island artillery, and Bunting's 6th New York independent battery.

Infantry.-Gorman's brigade: 2d New York State Militia, 1st Minnesota, 15th Massachusetts, and 34th New York volunteers and Tammany regiment, (New York volunteers.) Lander's brigade; 19th and 20th Massachusetts, and 7th Michigan volunteers, and a company of Massachusetts sharpshooters. Baker's brigade: Pennsylvania volunteers, (1st, 2d, 3d, California.)

BUELL'S DIVISION.

Artillery.--Batteries D and H, 1st Pennsylvania artillery.

Infantry.-Couch's brigade: 2d Rhode Island, 7th and 10th Massachusetts, and 36th New York volunteers. Graham's brigade: 23d and 31st Pennsylvania, and 67th (1st Long Island) and 65th (1st United States chasseurs) New York volunteers. Peck's brigade: 13th and 21st Pennsylvania, and 62d (Anderson Zouaves) and 55th New York volunteers.

M'CALL'S DIVISION.

Cavalry.-1st Pennsylvania reserve cavalry, Col. Bayard.

Artillery.-Easton's battery A, Cooper's battery B, and Kein's battery G, 1st Pennsylvania artillery.

Infantry-Meade's brigade: 1st rifles Pennsylvania reserves, 4th, 3d, 7th, 11th, and 2d Pennsylvania reserve infantry. -brigade: 5th, 1st, and 8th Pennsylvania reserve infantry. - - brigade: 10th, 6th, 9th, and 12th Pennsylvania reserve infantry.

HOOKER'S DIVISION. Cavalry-Eight companies 3d Indiana cavalry, Lieut. Col. Carter."

Artillery.-Elder's battery E, 1st United States artillery.

Infantry. brigade 1st and 11th Massachusetts, 2d New Hampshire, 26th Pennsylvania, and 1st Michigan volunteers. Sickles's brigade: 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th regiments Excelsior brigade, New York volunteers.

BLENKER'S BRIGADE.

Cavalry. 4th New York cavalry, (mounted rifles,) Col. Dickel. Artillery.-One battery.

Infantry.-8th and 29th New York, 27th, and 35th Pennsylvania, Garibaldi Guard and Cameron rifles, (New York volunteers.)

SMITH'S DIVISION.

Cavalry-5th Pennsylvania Cavalry, (Cameron dragoons.) Col Friedman.

Artillery.-Ayres' battery F, 5th United States artillery, Mott's 2d New York independent battery, and Barr's battery E, 1st Pennsylvania artillery.

Infantry.

-- brigade: 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Vermont volunteers. Steven's brigade: 35th and 49th New York and 6th Maine volunteers, and *79th New York State militia. Hancock's brigade: *47th and 49th Pennsylvania, 43d New York, and 5th Wisconsin volunteers. Companies B and E, Berdan's sharpshooters.

Casey's provisional brigades.-5th, 6th, and 7th New Jersey volunteers, *RoundHead regiment, (Pennsylvania volunteers,) battalion District of Columbia volunteers, 40th Pennsylvania, 8th New Jersey, and 4th New Hampshire volunteers.

5. Garrison of Alexandria.-Brig. Gen. Montgomery, military governor. Cameron Guard, (Pennsylvania volunteers.)

Garrison of Fort Albany.-14th Massachusetts volunteers.

Garrison of Fort Richardson.-4th Connecticut volunteers.

Garrison of Fort Washington.--Company D, 1st United States artillery, companies H and I, 37th New York volunteers, and United States recruits unassigned. 6. DIX'S DIVISION, BALTIMORE. Cavalry.-Company of Pennsylvania

cavalry.

Artillery.-Battery I, 2d United States artillery, 2d Massachusetts light battery, and a battery of New York artillery.

Infantry.-3d, 4th, and 5th New York, 17th and 25th Massachusetts, 21st Indiana, 6th Michigan, 4th Wisconsin, 7th Maine, 2d Maryland battalion, and Reading city guard, volunteers.

On the 8th of March, 1862, the President directed, by the following order, the organization of the active portion of the

The 79th New York State militia, the 47th Penn. sylvania volunteers, and the Round-Head regiment were transferred to Gen. Sherman's expedition.

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