CHAP. XIII.] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, Fort Monroe, November 11, 1861.

Major General GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Commanding the Army:

GENERAL: Agreeably to your instructions of the 6th, received on the 8th instant, I herewiht transmit a statement of what I consider necessary for defensive, and to a certain extent offensive, operations in this section of Virginia, excluding Norfolk and its surrounding country.

1st. The enemy have, as reported be deserters as well as other persons, 25,000 men stationed between Yorktown and James River. I think, however, this is a very great exaggeration of their forces, which I do not believe exceed 12,000; certainly not beyond 15,000. They appear to have a large proportion of cavalry and artillery, and their men appear tolerably well clothed, and, as the deserters say, have plenty to eat.

2nd. The Federal troops, with the exception of a single company of artillery, are volunteers, and some of the regiments have been but recently raised. The aggregate of all the forces stationed in Fort Monroe, Camp Hamilton, and Newport News, called Camp Butler, amounts to about 9,000. The rank and file are generally young and active, and with capable, intelligent, and enterprising officers would very soon make good soldiers. We are, however, improving; but for the want of proper officers, capable of giving instruction, I have been little else than a schoolmaster since I took command of the Department of Virginia. These remarks will apply to all the volunteers. To make them what they appear, highly respectable, I have been compelled to rise early and sit up late. But without light artillery I would attempt no serious demonstration against the enemy, who appear to rely very much on their cavalry and artillery. The recent inspection by Colonel Cram, aide-de-camp, acting as inspector-general-and he makes a very good one-shows the arms in the hands of the volunteers are generally bad. he says in recent report that "we require 5,000 stand of the best infantry muskets to replace the comparatively worthless arms with which several of our regiments are now wholly or in part armed, several of which having not more than two companies well armed." To which I would add that I exchanged with the Indiana regiment a day or two before it left for Hatteras 150 arms, which exhausted most of the serviceable muskets in the arsenal. Those received from the regiment, as Lieutenant Baylor, ordnance officer, informed me, wee not reparable.

3rd. In Fort Monroe I have a company of artillery, and have nearly or quite 200 volunteers under instruction for that service. Fort the first company I have only Lieutenant Lodor. For the 200 volunteers I have only Captain Mendenhall. Under his instructions thy have made considerable progress in the maneuvering of heavy guns. Of all the artillerists instructed and being instructed I could not efficiently man ten heavy guns. I have no light artillery, although we have a few men called light artillery at Camp Butler. Altogether we have over 100 men, but only two officers that properly belong to them, to wit, Major Roberts, recently promoted, and Lieutenant Lodor. Captain Mendenhall, recently promoted, has been ordered to join his company. I have retained him to instruct the volunteers. Second Lieutenant Sanger is at Newport News, but he belong to the company at Hatteras Inlet. He has charge of the artillery of that post and a few light artillery in charge of a 6-pounder and 12-pounder howitzer. I have not referred to Lieutenant-Colonel Nauman nor Major Wyse, because neither can be of any service. Lieutenant-Colonel Nauman reported to me highly intoxicated,