must, of course, control the disposition of your troops, but, ordinarily, organization should be maintained. It was presumed that there was some misapprehension about Birggs' brigade, and previous dispatch * was simply designed to elicit explanation.

By command of Major-General Banks:

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Captain, Aide-de-Camp, and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF WASHINGTON,
September 16, 1862 - 9 p. m.

Major-General HEINTZELMAN, Arlington:

The order to have your whole command in readiness to move was not intended to embrace the garrisons of the works. The commanding general considers their presence in the works more important than any service their numbers would enable them to render hastily concentrated and thrown into the field.

By command of Major-General Banks:

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Captain, Aide-de-Camp, and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

September 16, 1862 - noon.

Governor CURTIN, Harrisburg:

What do you hear from General McClellan's army? We have nothing from him to-day.

A. LINCOLN.

HARRISBURG, PA.,

September 16, 1862. (Received 1.30 p. m.)

His Excellency the PRESIDENT:

We have no definite news. Our telegraph operator at Hagerstown reports that a battle is progressing near the Potomac, between Sharpsburg and Williamsport. What success did McClellan meet with yesterday? We have not heard, and should know, in order to use our forces that are now being pushed into Maryland.

A. G. CURTIN,

Governor of Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

September 16, 1862 - 2.35 p. m.

Governor CURTIN:

Since telegraphing you, dispatch came from General McClellan, dated 7 o'clock this morning. Nothing of importance happened with him yesterday. This morning he was up with the enemy at Sharpsburg, and was waiting for heavy fog to rise.

A. LINCOLN.

* See Banks to Heintzelman, September 15, 2.15 p. m., p. 299.