The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-04-11

examined the papers submitted to me, and have
The honor to make the following report:
FIRST The Presidents war order, No. 8, dated
March s, requires that on taking up any new
base of operations, the City Of Washington shall
he left entirely eecure. The other points OF the
order it is unnecessary to consider, as the enemy
aimee its date have abandoned their positions and
batteries on the Potomac and retired behind the
Mcond The council ofgeneral officers held at
Fairfax Court House, March l3, took place after
the enemy had retired from Manassas and de-
stroyed the railroad in their rear. The council.
decided unanimously to take up new base Of
operations from Fortress Monroe, and three Of.
the eenerals-a msjOrity-decided that the force
necessary to be lett should be sufficient to fully
garrison tie forts on the right bank of the Po-'
tomac, and to 'occupy" those on the left bank,
With covering force Of $4,000. tits, we think.
the judgment of officers, that some 1000 men
would be necessary thus to man these for Is, which
With the number Of the covering force, would
make total of Sd, 200.
Third. The Presidents directions Of March
Is to Gen. Mcclellan direct, first, to leave such
force at Manassas Junction as shall make it
entirely certain that the enemy may not repos-
sees it; second, that Washington shall be left
entirely score; third, that the remainder Of the
army move down the Potomac, or move in pur.
suis Of the enemy. In regard to occupying Man.
assas Junction, as the enemy have destroyed the
railroads leading to it, it may be fair to assume
that they have no intention Of returning for the
reoccupation of their late position, and therefore
no yery large force would be necessary to hold
that position.
Fourth Major General McClellan's report to
<he Adintant General of April l. after giving
the several positions of the troops proposed to
be left for the defense o. Washington, gives
representation as follows: At Warrenton there
Is to be 1880; at Manassas, say. 1O,s59; in the
valley of the Shenandoah, IS, 467; on the Lower
Potomac, 1850 Total in all, 55,456. And
there would be left for the garrisons and the
front of Washington, under Gen. Wadsworth,
some $4,000. In the above enumeration, Gen.
Banks Army Corps is included; but whether
this corps, operating in the Shenandoah Valley,
should be regarded as part of the force avail
able for the protection Of the Immediate front
of Washington, the undersigned express no
opinion.
Fifth Gen. Wadsworth's report Of April I'd
gives his force as follows: Infantry, 1884; ar.
tillerv, 4,494; cavalry, S5S--six companies orly
being mounted. Total. 20,4T
Deduct sick, in arrest and confinement, ,455
Total for duty, 1902.
From this force Gen. Wadsworth is directed
to detach two good regiments to Richardson's
division, Summers corps, which should be de-
Quoted from his command, one regiment to re-
place the S7,h New York, in Heintzelman's ole
division, and one to relieve regiment Of Hook
er's division at Budd's Ferry-total, four regi
ments. .
It is also ordered to send 1000 men to relieve
Sumner at Manassas and Warrenton. Genera
%bok hoh has NM
light artillery under his command; states ina
there were several companies of reserve artil-
lery still here, but not under his command, or N
for service.
Gen Wadsworth further reports that nearly
all the force is new and imperfectly disciplined
that several of the regiments are in very als'
organized condition, some of them having
been relieved from brigades which have gone
into the field. in consequence OF their unnt
ness fol- service, the best regiments remaining
having been selected to take their place; two
heavy artillery regiments and one infantry
regiment which had been drilled for months IN
artillery service, having been Withdrawn from
the forts on the south side of the Potomac, anc
their places supplied with new infantry regi
ments, entirely unscquainted with the dutie!
of that arm, and Of little or no value in theli
present position. If there was need ofa mill
tary force for the safety of the City OF Wash
ington without its own limits, that referred t.
in the report of Gen. Wadsworth would seen
to be entirely ina lequate.
In view of the opinion expressed by thu
council of the commanders Of army corps OF tn
force necessary for the defense of the capital
though not numerically stated, and of tn
force represented by Gen. Mcclellan as LEI
for that purpose, We are of the opinion tina
the requirements of the President, that tn
city shall be left entirely secure not only il
the opinion of the general-in-chief, but tina
fthe commanders of the army corps also, ha
not been fully complied With.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
L. THOMAS, Adjt Gen.
A. HITCHCOCK, Maj Gen, U. s. A
THE PRESIDENT PROTECTS THE CAPITAL.
The day after this report was written, tn
President directed the Secretary Of War to or
der one corps of the Army of the Potomac t
remain in front of Washington until turtle
orders. The corps of Gen. Mcdowell. bein
the only corps remaining intact here, was sc
lected to remain, without the knowledge Of Ger
Mcdowell, he being engaged, at the time of re
ceiving this order in making preparations
Immediately follow the rest OF the army TO ID
peninsula.
THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN.
Ten. d0lOlzelu0us WIZ OoAAAAoA~S~ 49, -.
troops of the army of the Potomac that lande
on the peninsula, arrived at Fortress Monre
on the Esd of Marcel, two weeks after the evae
uaticn of Manassas. He had orders to cam
as near Fortress Monroe as possible, in orde
that the enemy should have no idea OF the
rection in which the army Was to move, wheth
er toward Yorktown or Norfolk. Gen. Helnt;
Gilman states that shortly after landing ne OF
tanned information that the enemy had NJ
more than 10000 troops at Yorktown and 9
the Peninsula, and is satisfied that he cou
have advanced and isolated Yorktcwn,in whie
case there would have been no serious obst,
Gle in the way of proceeding directly to klc
mond. On the 9th of March he sent out re-
ornoiterisp parties as tar as Big Bethel al
Watts Creek, and went near the Half W.
House, where about 400 Of the enemy, ana
litele artillery were seen. He telegraphedi
Gen. Mcclellan what he was dong, afo +
ceived a dispatch, in reply, that he (Ien. M
Clellanl. hoped that nothing had been done
give the enemy information of the line OF ope