M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-08-15

HEADQUARTERS, DEPART. OF VIRGINIA,
FoRTREss MoNRoE, July 80, 1851.
Hon. SIMON CAMERON. SECRETARY
OF WAR-Sir: BY ali order receiv-
ed on the morning Of the 26th of Ju-
Ily, from Major General Dix, by q tel.
eeraphic order from Lieutenant Gen.
eral Scott, ] was commanded to for.
ward, Of the troops Of this department,
four regiments and half, including
Col. Bakers California regiment, to
Washington, via Baltimore. Be!ieV-
ing that it emanated because OF some
pressing exigoncy for the defense Of
Washington, issued my orders be-
fore day for the embarkation OF
the troops, sending those who were
among the very best regiments | had.
In the course of the following day
they were all embarked for Baltimore
with the exception OF some 400, for
whom | had no transportation, al
though had all the transport force in
the hands of the Quartermaster here,
to aid the Bay line Of steamers, which
by the same order from the Lieut3n.
ant General was directed to furnish
transportation. Up to and al the time
of the order had been preparing an
advance movement by which ! hoped
to cripple the resources Of the enemy
at Yorktown, and especially by seiz-
ing large quantity of negroes who
were being pressed into their service
in building the entertainments there.
| had five days previously been ena'
bled to mount for the first time, the
first company of Light Artillery, which
, | had been empowered to raise, and
. they had but single riaen canncn-
an iron ix.pounder. Of course ev'
N erything must and did yield to the
supposed exigency and the orders
This ordering away the troops from
this department, while il weakened
i the posts at Newport News, necessi
n tated the withdrawal Of the troops
from Hampton, where | was thcr
: throwing up entrenched works to en-
y able me to hold the town with asmal
force, while l advanced up the Yorl
or James river. In the village O
! Hampton there were large number
of negroes, composed in a great meas
# sure of women and children of thu
q men who had fled thither within my
= line for protection, who had ESCAPED
from marauding parties OF rebels wh'
v had been gathering up aGle-bodie(
Il blacks to aid them in constructing
g their batteries on the James and lor
: rivers. l had employed the men i
throwing up intrenchnenss, and the
were working zealouSly and efficient
at that duty, saving our soldiers troI
|, that labor under the gleam of the mid
day sun. The women were earnin
substantially their own subsistence /
a washing, marketing, andtakiug car
d d Of the clothes Of the soldiers, and ra
lo tions were being served out to the meu
d d who worked for the support of thei
" children. But by the evacuation {
Hampton, rendered necessary by tn
withdrawal of troops, leaving m
Up scarcely 5000 men outside the Fort
including the force at Newport News
all these black people were obliged t
break up their homes at Hampton
fleeing across the creek within m
!. lines for protection and support IL
deed it was o most distressing sigl
% to sec these poor creatures, who ha
" trusted to the protection OF the arm
Of the United States, and who aide
~ the troops of the United States
" their enterprise, to be thus obliged
/, flee from their homes and the homt
of their masters, who had deserte
them, and become not fugitives troI
RS fear OF the return of the rebel soldier,
who had threatened to shoot the me
: who had wrought for us, and to carr
off the women, who had served us
a worse than Egyptian bondage
have therefore now within the Peni
sula, this side of Hampton creek, "
negroes, 800 Of whom are able.6odl
. men, 30 Of whom are men subSta
tally past hard labor, 175 wome
1225 children, under the ago OF t
Of years, and 10 between 10 and
,Ep m years, and many more coming in
LIE The questions that this state OF tai
ice, O. present are very embarrassing
in, "First--What shall be done "
the them and Second, What Is th
see state and condition ?
Upon these questions | desire
- instructions of the department.
"Thc first question, however, m
perhaps be answered by consideri
the last. Are these men, women q
children slaves Z Are they free
ople their condition that of men, won
and, ard children, or of property, or Il
|. &c a mixed relationl What their sta
.' was under the Constitution and la
A in we all know. What bas been the