MARCH 31, 1862-8.50 p.m.

General E. V. SUMNER,

Commanding Second Corps, Warrenton Junction:

By order of the President Blenker's division is to join General Fremont. I shall replace it by a division under General Mansfield.

The purpose of withdrawing the two divisions of your corps is to concentrate your corps in the field of active operations under your personal command. You will receive further instructions to-morrow. In the mean time please have Richardson's division ready to move back in the morning.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

WARRENTON JUNCTION, March 31, 1862-p.m.

General S. WILLIAMS:

Your telegram of 8.50 p.m. is received. Richardson's and Blenker's divisions are at this point, in bivouac. I had intended, under previous orders, to have sent on the arrival of General Abercrombie's to-morrow Blenker's division to Manassas Junction the day after.

E. V. SUMNER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Second Corps.

Abstract from the Return of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George B. McClellan, U. S. Army, for March 31, 1862.

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men.

General staff 73 --

First Army Corps (McDowell's)* 1,391 32,119

Second Army Corps (Sumner's)+ 1,247 25,531

Third Army Corps 1,370 31,677

(Heintzelman's)++

Fourth Army Corps (Keyes')@ 1,439 31,480

Fifth Army Corps (Banks')# 944 21,759

Military district of 821 18,078

Washington (Wadsworth's)

Military district of 56 1,230

Alexandria (Viele's)

Provost-marshal guard (A. 32 542

Porter's)

Regular infantry (Sykes') 153 3,752

Regular cavalry (P. St. George 99 2,502

Cooke's)

Artillery Reserve (Hunt's) 127 2,604

U. S. Engineer troops (Duane's) 4 224

Headquarters cavalry escort 4 104

(McIntyre's)

Total 7,760 171,602

Command. Aggregate Aggregate Pieces

present. present of

and artille

absent. ry.

General staff 73 73 --

First Army Corps (McDowell's)* 35,943 38,454 68

Second Army Corps (Sumner's)+ 27,907 31,307 60

Third Army Corps 35,842 38,849 64

(Heintzelman's)++

Fourth Army Corps (Keyes')@ 34,798 37,910 60

Fifth Army Corps (Banks')# 23,607 32,625 59

Military district of Washington 20,795 22,410 6

(Wadsworth's)

Military district of Alexandria 1,404 1,459 --

(Viele's)

Provost-marshal guard (A. 633 711 --

Porter's)

Regular infantry (Sykes') 4,142 4,765 --

Regular cavalry (P. St. George 2,771 3,141 --

Cooke's)

Artillery Reserve (Hunt's) 2,906 3,116 100

U. S. Engineer troops (Duane's) 237 288 --

Headquarters cavalry escort 113 145 --

(McIntyre's)

Total 191,171 214,983 $ 417

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*Franklin's, McCall's, and King's divisions.

+Richardson's, Blenker's, and Sedgewick's divisions.

++Fitz John Porter's, Hooker's, and C. S. Hamilton's divisions, and Averell's Third Pennsylvania Cavalry.

@Couch's, W. F. Smith's, and Casey's divisions.

#A. S. Williams' and Shields' divisions.

$The original return shows in the horizontal line of "total" 242 pieces of heavy, 440 of field, and 6 of mountain artillery. The vertical columns show 6 pieces of heavy, 411 of field, and none of mountain. In this abstract only the number of pieces found in the vertical columns is given.

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