Poolesville, on the road to Edwards Ferry, furnishing an outpost of four companies to that ferry. This outpost throws out pickets to meet those from Conrad's on the right and those from Seneca on the left. Seneca being 8 miles from this point, I have left an entire regiment there at the crossing of the river road and the road from Rockville. an outpost is kept on the river bank, throwing out pickets to meet Gorman's above and General McCall's below. One section of Hascall's battery is stationed on the heights above Edwards Ferry. The road from Edwards Ferry to seneca is very hilly and rough, almost impracticable for artillery or wagons.

The constant rains from the past week must have made the roads very bad on the low grounds on the opposite side of the river and have made the fords at least a foot deeper. If there exists reliable information that a crossing is intended here, I would respectfully recommend that two additional regiments be sent here and a few long-range guns. It I might be permitted to express a preference, i would ask for the Fifteenth Massachusetts Regiment, no in Washington, and the Ninth New York State Militia [Eighty-third Volunteers] now with General Banks. There was a rumor here yesterday that 5,000 men of General Banks' command had arrived near the Monocacy, but I was at the outpost there about sunset, and could see nothing of troops, camps, or smokes.

A negro, who crossed yesterday from near the Monocacy, informed met hat two regiment of Southern troops were said to have passed up from Leesburg towards Hillsborough, Waterford, and Lovetsville on Wednesday and Thursday last, and this story was confirmed by a civilian belonging to Washington, who came yesterday from the Virginia sid endear the Point of Rocks.

Very respectfully, I am, general, your obedient servant,

CHAS. P. STONE,

Brigadier-General.

The enemy keep small pickets near Edward and Conrad's Ferreis, but apparently none near the Monocacy. Their picket fire on ours and canal boats passing occasionally.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA,
Baltimore, Md., August 19, 1861.

Major General GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,

Commanding Division of the Potomac:

GENERAL: In obedience to the direction contained in your dispatch by telegraph of last evening, I have the honor to inclose a return of the troops in this department. They are scattered not only by regiments, but by companies, over a large surface, and I am unable to furnish a complete return of all up to a later date than the 1st instant. All but one are up to the 16th instant.

I also inclose copies of two letters-one of the 12th, and the other of the 17th instant-to the General-in-Chief, concerning the defense of this city.* The latter, intended as a memorandum or memoir, shows the disposition of my force in this immediate neighborhood and the aggregate of each regiment and corps from the morning reports of the 16th instant. Accompanying these letters is a map of the city, illustrating the proposed plan of defense.

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*See, under these dates, pp. 558, 565.

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