FORT MONROE, August 1, 1862-5 p.m.

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

I have just received the following dispatch from General Mansfield at Suffolk. I have written to you by to-day's mail in regard to my force here and at Suffolk:*

Major-General DIX, Fort Monroe:

The enemy has been re-enforced in cavalry, and numbers 800 in my front. Our scouts will soon be shut in here, and they will do as they please with the railroads beyond us-all for the want of cavalry here.

MANSFIELD.

JOHN A. DIX.

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

Camp near Harrison's Landing, Va., August 1, 1862

His Excellency CHARLES S. OLDEN,
Governor of New Jersey, Trenton:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo.#

I am much gratified by the consideration you have given to my suggestions, and am encouraged in the belief that the wise course you are pursuing will still maintain for New Jersey the honorable position she won early in the struggle, be promptly filling up the regiments which have done her so much honor and the country such good service.

I beg leave to ask Your Excellency's attention to the inquiry, Whether the difficulty you apprehend in recruiting for the old regiments might not be met by consolidating the present thin companies, so as to fill them to the standard, and raising new companies to fill up the regiments?

The leaven of veteran companies would soon make soldiers of the whole regiment, and I presume the knowledge that the men would be better cared for and would share the prestige of the old colors, the prospect of immediate service and the more liberal bounties, would more than counterbalance the supposed advantage to be gained from the appointment of new field officers. At all events I think the soldiers we should add immediately to the old regiments by this would be worth much more to us than double their number in new ones, which could not be expected to take the field for months. Just now time counts for many men.

Sincerely thanking you for the kind expressions contained in your letter, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. B. McCLELLAN.

Major-General, Commanding.

FORT MONROE, August 2, 1862

Major-General HALLECK:

MY DEAR GENERAL: We have not received the order we expected

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*Reference is probably to letter of July 31, next preceding.

#Not found.

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