GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEP'T ADJT. General 'S OFFICE,

Numbers 12.
Washington, April 27, 1861.

1. The Military Department of Washington will include the District of Columbia, according to its original boundary, Fort Washington and the country adjacent, and the State of Maryland as far as Bladensburg, inclusive. Colonel J. K. F. Mansfield, inspector-general, is assigned to the command, headquarters Washington City.

2. A new military department, to be called the Department of Annapolis, headquarters at that city, will include the country for twenty miles on each side of the railroad from Annapolis to the city of Washington, as far as Bladensburg, Md. Brigadier General B. F. Butler, Massachusetts Volunteers, is assigned to the command.

3. A third department, called the Department of Pennsylvania, will include that State, the State of Delaware, and all of Maryland not embraced in the foregoing departments. Major-General Patterson to command, headquarters at Philadelphia, or any other point he may temporarily occupy.

4. Byt. Colonel C. F. Smith, having been relieved by Colonel Mansfield, will repair to Fort Columbus, N. Y., and assume the duties of superintendent of the recruiting service; to which he was assigned in Special Orders, Numbers 80, of March 15. Major Heintzelman, on being relieved at Fort Columbus, will repair to this city, and report for duty to the department commander.

5. Fort Adams, Rhode Island, is hereby placed temporarily under the control of the Secretary of the Navy, for the purposes of the Naval Academy now at Annapolis, Md.

The necessary transfer of property will be made by the departments interested.

By order:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

WASHINGTON, April 28, 1861.

Major-General PATTERSON, &c., &c., &c.:

SIR: I hope in a few days to have the railroad communication be thee Washington and Annapolis well re-established and guarded, and in about the same time troops enough here to give reasonable security to the capital-that is, to the Government, the public buildings, and archives-with a surplus of troops for offensive operations. The next step will be by force to occupy Baltimore and reopen regular communications between Washington and Philadelphia by rail and wires. The plan that has occurred to me is, 1st, to advance a column from this place via the Relay House to the Washington depot; 2nd, another column by the road from York; 3rd, the same from Have de Grace, if destruction of bridges be not an insuperable obstacle; and, 4th, to move the principal force by water from Annapolis, and to make the four attacks simultaneously.

I wish you to consider and methodize the second and third attacks, and give me your views in advance on the whole subject.

Nothing shall prevent the occupation of Baltimore by a competent force but the voluntary reopening of free communications by rail and wires through Baltimore and Maryland before our preparations are ready.

WINFIELD SCOTT.