[CHAP. XXXI.

75; Twelfth New Hampshire, 1010; Battery H, First Ohio Artillery, 144; total of division, 4,658. The strength of Stoneman's division is between 9,000 and 10,000. It is at Poolesville, and reports to General McClellan. Whipple's division will leave by railway for Knoxville as soon as the General-in-Chief considers it safe to send it from here. It has been under marching orders since telegram of October 10, and is ready to go at any time. Your telegram about the One hundred and nineteenth Pennsylvania will be attended to in the morning; but General Banks didn't know the One hundred and thirty-seventh was a three months' regiment. He understood it was a nine months'.

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

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

HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF WASHINGTON,
October 14, 1862.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Headquarters of the Army:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that, in compliance with the instructions of the General-in-Chief, I have made the following dispositions:

All the troops south of the Potomac are to be on the alert.

General Sigel has been reminded that his command is advanced to Centreville and Fairfax Court-House as a corps of observation merely, and that if menaced by a superior force of the enemy, he is to fall back to the lines of defense. He has been informed that General Heintzelman is to advance a part of his force to cover such a movement, should it become necessary. General Heintzelman has received corresponding orders. Cavalry has been sent out the roads from Centreville and Fairfax Court-House, and the roads along the river toward Leesburg, to observe and give timely notice of the enemy's movements. The mobile forces south of the Potomac, all commanded by General Heintzelman, are disposed as follows: Sigel's corps has one division (Stahel's) at Centreville, and one division (Schurz's) and the unassigned regiments of the corps at Fairfax Court-House. Sickles' division (late Hooker's) has two brigades south of Hunting Creek, two regiments and a battery at Upton's Hill, and the remainder of the Third Brigade near the Seminary. Of Whipple's division, Piatt's brigade occupies Munson's Hill, and Carroll's brigade is encamped near Arlington. Abercrombie's division (new) has one regiment, with a regular battery (De Russy's) at Munson's Hill, and the remainder of the division near Fort Ethan Allen, nearly a brigade being on the turnpike toward Langley. Bayard's cavalry division, besides the forces sent out and the brigade detached to Sigel, has a brigade at Upton's Hill and another in rear of Fort Ward. The commanders of the defenses north of the river have been instructed to be on the alert. Mounted orderlies have been furnished to the commanders at Forts Alexander, Pennsylvania, and Lincoln, and Colonel Haskin has requested the superintendent of military telegraphs to reopen temporarily the telegraph office at Fort Lincoln. A squadron of cavalry, reporting direct to these headquarters, has been sent to Offutt's Cross-Roads, with instructions to observe the crossings in that direction, having an advanced post at Coon's Ferry and a strong detachment at Great Falls, picketing above and below. On the appearance of the enemy in force, this cavalry is to fall back on the city,