The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-08-05

SIR: have the honor to submit the following
condensed statement Of the forces under my com~
mand for the defence of Washington:
| infantry. ................. ..lo,S35
Artillery. .................... 4294
Cavalry (six companies not mounted)... s4S
| lo aO,477
] Deduct sick and in arrest and confnsmt 1885
Total present for duty. ..l9,O22
Thave no mounted light artillery under my com
mand Several companies of the reserve artillery
| of the Potomac are still here, but not under my
command or fit for service.
OF this force am ordered by General McClel-
Ian to detail two regiments fgood ones) to Join
Richardson's division (Sumners corps) as IL passes
through Alexandria one regiment to replace the
thirty seventh New York volunteers in 'Heintzel-
mans old division, and one regiment to relieve
regiment Of Hooker's division at Budd's Ferry; to-
ta four regiments.
l am further ordered this morning by telegraph
to send four thousand men to relieve General Sum-
ner at Manassas and Warrentown, that he may en-
bark forthwith.
| In regard TO the character and efficiency of tho
troops under my command, have TO state thss
nearly all the force Is new and imperfectIy disci-
plned that several of the regiments are in a very
disorganized condition from various causes which
it is not necessary to state here. Several regi-
ments have been relieved from brigades which have
gone into the field, in consequence of their unfit
ness for service the best regiments remaining
have been selected to take their place.
| Two heavy artillery regiments and one infantry
regiment which had been drilled for some months
in artillery service, have been withdrawn from the
| forts the south side of the Potomac and have
only been able to fll their place with very new in
fantry regiments entirely unacquainted with the
duties of that arm and Of little value in their
present position.
= am not informed as to the position which Ma
jor General Banks is directed to take, but at this
time he is as understand on the other side Of the
Bull Run mountains, leaving my command to
the front from Manassas Gap (about twenty miles
beyond Manassas) to Aqua Creek.
deem it my duty to state, that looking at the
numerical strength and character of the force un-
der my command it is in my judgment entirely in
adequate to and unfit for the important duty to
which it is assigned. / regard it verv improbable
that the enemy will assail at this point but this
belief is based upon the hope that they may be
promptly engaged elsewhere, and may not learn
the number and character of the force left here
| l have the honor to be your ob't serv't,
/ JAMES s. WADswoRrH
| ii. Brig General and Military Governor
Hon. Secretary of War. sg
Well, sir, | will here state that no man has
a higher regard for General w adsworth than
myself. l know him well, and esteem him
highly; but must be permitted to say that
his simplicity exceeds belief. His only hope
Of impunity from attack is that the enemy
will not know his force, and will speedily be
engaged elsewhere. BY whom and wherei
Not certainly by the amy under Mcclellan,
for be had already learned that McCiellan
never attacked. Bv whom and wherei again
ask. General Wadsworlh must answer. One
hundred and twenty the usand men were land.
ed at Fortress Monroe, and sat down before
Yorktown under General Mcclellan, while
the enemy at that time did not reach
thousand men. Instantly General Mcclellan
| egan to telegraph for reinfoicemeuts, and
continued to telegraph up to the day be was
attacked by the rebels. The country has
been deceived as to MeClellan's force; has
been led to believe it was inadequate. Joh1
Tucker Assistant Secretary of War. prot xred
transportation and superintended the ship.
ment Of all the troops and reinforcements. He
testifies as follows: 10
"Question-What is your position under the
Government?
| Answer-I am Assistant Secretary of War
| Question-Do you know anything about tho
transportation Of troops to Yorktown and the Pc
ninsula?
Answer-f do. attended to the embarkatfon
| of those troops
Question-Of the whole of them?
Answer-Yes, sir.
Question-Can you state what number Of troops
were first embarked for that place?
Answer-Prior to the 9Th of April, as know
from the statements made to me by the Quarter
masters who were attending to the details, there
we're one hundred and twenty-onc thousand five
hundred men.
Ouestion-That was before General Frankln's d.
vision was ordered therey
Answer-Yes, sir. Shortly after that Frahklin's
division was shipped; it numbered twelve thous-
-. I. Er.A Af I.,x. M.n. IIt. III.
ion was sent down there it consisted of ten thou
sand men. And about the same time, from Balti-
more and Fort Monroe there were sent eleven
thousand men; and the last Of June part Of
Shields division were shidped. did not supsrin-
tend that, but am informed there were about five
thousand of them.
Question-You superintendent the shipment Of all
the troops but those from General Shields ivisons
Answer-Yes, sir.
Question-Does that comprise all that has been
sent to General Mcclellan since he landed tberey
Answer-That is all that know Of
Question-That includes the number sent by
Generals Wool and Dix?
Answer-Yes, sir. That makes one hundred and
fifty thousand men in all.
Question-Do you know of any other forces at
the disposal of the Government that could have
been spared for its assistance?
Answer-I do not
Question--Were there reasons why General Nc
Dowelps forces could not be sents i
Answer-Yes, sir. The PRESIDENT deemed them
essential for the protection of Washington.
Qaestion-And that force was none too strong
for the defence of this place?
Answer-Et was regarded.
Question--ffa*e you any personal knowledge Of
the state of the roads and the condition of tho
country on the peninsula when General Mcclellan
first took his army there?
Answer-Early in April visited the headquar.
tiers of General McClellan and found the roads to-
tally impossible for the transportation Of artillery,
and almost so for supplies. On my arrival at GEN.
eral McClellans headquarters, was informed that
he was sending his cavalry back to the river, be-
cause IL was impossible for him to transport forage
to sustain them. As an evidence of the condition
of the roads from Shipping Point to his headqaar-
tcrs, was myself eight hours going seven miles on
horseback"
This testimony is so important that / have
deemed it absolutely requisite that the coun-
Try should have it. The country has been de-
seived. II has be, n led TO believe that the
Secretary Of War or somebody else has inter-
fered with General McClellan's plans, when
ho bsd An army that Gould hate crushe ed any