, 1862-07-25

cessi1y. |
Assistant Secretary Fox testides:
"Question Do you know Of a1 attempt having |
sion OF Matthias Point at any t1mei II 80, will
you state the part1cniarsf
June last, Qs61, proposed to the War Department
ten NV wa5 made By lie War Department with Ieisr-
to ss
ical engineers. The War Department, or General
Scott, declined to send free down there as early
quest, just before he wae killed, asking for only
SAU men to sccupy that point, and Gen Scott con;
TIC though Cen M Sans6eld W. ri sarnest and ysty
positive. in bis opinion that that point ought to
"Mr Welles went over to zee General Scott
about it think in Jqne, and pre5sed i upon him
letter thai find upon our books was written on
the Isl day Of July. It Is as follows, addressed to
MIR. Cameron:
"tNAvT DEPARTMENT, July l, 1861.
"tSIz: have thr honor to inform yon that this
department il entirely eatieled, from reports OF
its cf11cerr. that the Potomac River will soon be
closed by the batteries Of the rebels unless one OF
."'Tnen Bnll Run tnteIvened between that and
Il dated August ~, 1851, to MIR. Cameron and Mr.
"sEA7Y DEPARTMENT, Auguet 90, 1861
| u.su Tbe imno,4ance ~ teen;no oncn the
,v,s,do ~ ta Pntnmac u u a. avs1ns that .no No
s u the n "a ras ~
is possible this depart ment bar, and will continue
iot;iia In thern are m nla or tWo noin1s 9xhera
sber Satt.res ai ran b. mae to 1nfcreent Comm.
nicat1nn and in view OF that danger and recent in
imnaaIata 1neasnrna he tsten ~ thc ~ Iena-t
| mtnt to fortffy and iutrench Matthias Point. a
cnnII hc1ttoft,re ami no-ians NAV still TAX. ma
session and sccnTr il Bnt If more than reri
nn, T. ran1,1oi Il anneara IT, me ini3fsnensaS,
~ ~ rni;,ss rrntar aboGid Ia f1r1;sboJ
lns' m ranested necasinna has heon
ha % ecasI1 :" oao a rst
plaSe ~ ~ t ~ @ riii ~ av
@ ~ ~ ;fs .GForta tn1rsrda seiy;ny sod
1 " @ Ia ~ GAoles nhnia sa;
@ IN ~ opa, annnt anfcent torce he ssat
~. oe arf ; a =; n.c, w h
~ X an rar II hd
5 EaS. a'.1 1 .t1,a 49, 90 ro ~ ~ aIio,i ~ rh
po,n,,,sr auS LILLE opsn 'A0 VI 'n'
~ 94do,sto,5 That +roona ,r;r be cent 10 IN a
| ,owcr Marsiana cou1tics q kecn the nesce and
nravant bstt erfes fIom heinr erorted m the left
bank. Fhis il a timel II aud wire precautton bit
il IL equally necessary that we should take possess
eet nost NJ eaetnn ~ hat noint. 4 wnnId reanire
Gery large fo1ce to dispossees them
~ ~ 49, - arnnst t,nd tho t,7,on;no
letter from the Navy Department to the Wa
Department: -
"AU0usr 81. 1851.
1 .
patches received from Captain Craven. In command
attention to hie euggestlons q the. necessity o1
prompt and efficient measures for keeping oper
ihe navigation Of the Potomac. have heretofore
onrepeatt occasions: called the attention Of the
War Department to this subject which is Of i'm
menee importance to this ci;y, and Tie operations
Of the a1my as veil a. the navy l. appears to M
there Should be no DELAY in taking the precautiou
1h's depsr,ment, With the navai fo.ce IL the Poto
mac, il ready 81 all times to aid IN this measure
Nothing however, was done at that time.
| "In Octobrr there were in the Potomac tn
pawEee. the Pocabortas and the Seminole, thre
very heavily armed vessels, and the R. 8. Forbes
With two very formiasb'c KnnS On n board: Thes
| vessels were detailed to go with Dupon1'e expra
i t1on to Port Ro5al: But before they went IN
navJ department prdpnted to the president au
| that had then begun to appear upon the rive
should be destroyed, and thel1 places occupied b
the army II WAS urgt d that these were the he3,
uet VII haraw @ sbem for ,his sous6era Lex espeditio1
!, as fhips were TOO scarce to allow them to RENAL
> here IL the river Going nothing: And ~ effo
0 srmy. ~ '@' - ~ ~ 1'0,'''0 ''.''~ -
ahsy ea5 So to ssnS dGHn @ men f @
:, | tome time il October / du no5 find any write
Z Communication upon books in regard to il
i orders wee cent doan from the navy departme
/, tot apt Craven, and Capt, Dahlgreu, and scoE
& ard steamers were provided f5r carrying Il
l. ,rorpe tud landing them at Nj t las Point Car
It Craven coll Ct, IT. atthia- Point I'll the boas
Il bis fo,i>]a. AID We notified h,a, that op NJ
IL ws.uld arrive there in the middle Of the nigh
II lhete troops did not g. The fifst tnIimatioa , ,
U had Of that vas ting beat rent up the next d
re, eons; =,
!. we went over TO see Gen. Nc le1lan. Hc told
that ,he enet1eeIs were Of The opluion that troo
70 they had concluded not to send inem. told h
y ih.i the onsine.s & o. landing tie tIonps h.lons
20 Ia an h1 aas - da1 , suE ~ % -,
u ~. r. rrna iand thcm ~ nor ~ thtn eonc,n
-. ~ tIat lfey ahouic 20 the ext night. and We e
1a9 e. nh; S ps9
ps They Lever went; and We never knew Whist I
OF reason Was.
IT I'VE then sent cur H ooats out OF tne river: -.
nn 1u !fe ~ psnh1ec ha pf the eeiion a hen
% that the Tve2 shonia he closed ihat Ee had dc
e nur raTt. md that We had nothing fnrthsr to =
lat that ~ had the vesrels and conld destroy the
y te.ies. but The vessels would he Of no Use herr
fhat vas not cone sna Is t woa,a @ 2e oa no re-
ne fn Kin 1nF5 Sts s5s os esss ~
ss 1or v9rr 'G I'll knew @nst On iown to Port ;,
"a Thsy were of very ,iSht draft, very powerful
~ ~ 1het1 machinery was covered, They accordin
ns went ont, one ar CT another"
a,- ~ have heaEd great many reasons assigned
{nls eoafse: e. inase gasnesed mem 9a
ug general engagement to attempt to move tn
up n,nner WaT ~ csTrr thnse hatferfes Sas to M
te, down. down the liver. The PresIdeut assisted he n
Inc Department as far as he could In urgia- this
md upon General Mcclellan And he manifested Il
: feeling and more disappointment than have {
him before exhibit, When he found the men
rat net E ne; caz-u, ,,.,,o,,., .,,a,.oa -
,,,tst nesus. tHa 1 1sneta4 fne~lell11 oH}es1eo w
W. sane,c1r T 'a General seott commenced
bp Objection, bQt aftefTa.ds General McC1e
- objecteds
'fA "4nsVer. fes, Sir; it was continued By hil
Mr WRIGHT. desire to ask the Sen
$to from Michigan question
) 10 Mr. CuASDLER- Certainly.
. 70 Mr. WRIGHT. The Senator seems to
g presenting testimony taken before the C
~ ipfttee on the Conduct Of the War.
. 10 MI. EHAHDIER- Yes, af.
ID | Mr. WRIGHT. desire 10 knoW Whetn,
: % fs presented at the instance ofthe commit
;. 10 Mr. CHAEDLER. Yes, eir; by vote OF
70 committee.
:" ~ Mr.. CHANDLER. After consultation, 1t
!, !, ~ Bereed bY Gen. Mcclellan that four reg1m
I'm | should be furnished, and the time was {
for their emba1kation. At the appointed
=, the vessels we're ready, steam up and I
d sports along side, and thus they REMAINED
,x23 t1pht. hut no tro0ps appeared. Upon inq
u as 10 HE cauee, the general- -iu-chief iufof
;. IS The Secretary Of the Navy chat he did not,
% the troops because he fesred the arraucem
q OK for landtne we're not perfected. The Secre
ef the Nav Informed him that when the
EN- a.5 army 60 opersted. It was the duty ol
Thu | ,,..-~. -, y.-,-i;5o t,oo4c f,- 1,Ddfnr ond