Today in History:

834 Series I Volume XXI- Serial 31 - Fredericksburg

Page 834 OPERATIONS IN N.VA.,W.VA.,MD.,AND PA. Chapter XXXIII.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., December 6, 1862.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Headquarters of the Army:

In reply to yours of 27th November to General Burnside, I have to state that no arms, ordnance, or other stores were left by my orders at either Poolensville, Md., or Leesburg, Va.

A written report will be forwarded to-morrow, explaining everything.*

GEORGE STONEMAN,

Brigadier-General.


HEADQUARTERS SICKLES' DIVISION,
Camp near Falmouth, Va., December 6, 1862.

Brigadier General D. E. SICKLES,

Commanding Second Division, Third Corps:

GENERAL: In the matter of additional transportation, in order to complete the commissary and ammunition supply trains of this division, I have the honor to report that I have this day visited the depot at Falmouth, the chief quartermaster at corps headquarters, and the chief quartermaster at the general headquarters of the army.

Captain W. E. Morford, chief quartermaster of this corps, informed me that he had no teams for issue, and respectfully referred me to Captain L. H. Peirce, assistant quartermaster at Falmouth, who, he understood, would soon have 200 for issue. On stating this to Captain Pierce, he informed me that it was true that he would soon have 200 teams; that he expected them to arrive from Washington daily, but that they were to be retained for the use of his depot, and were not for issue.

Proceeding thence to general headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Myers, acting for General Ingalls, chief quartermaster of the army, informed me that there were no teams, nor spring wagons, nor saddle-horses, nor Sibley tents, nor stores for issue "this side of Washington," and that none were expected; that this corps already had a fair allowance of transportation, though it was unequally distributed, and that he would to-day issue orders to Captain Morford, chief quartermaster of the corps, to detach from the other two divisions and assign to this our due proportion of the same.

Perhaps I should here add that a requisition by Captain J. E. Smith, our chief of artillery, for teams for reserve artillery ammunition train, was presented by me to Colonel D. H. Rucker, chief quartermaster at Washington, D. C., early last week, and that it was refused, on the ground that General Ingalls already had a large supply of teams here to issue for such purposes.

To-day, on my return from general headquarters, I received a communication from Captain Morford directing me to "make immediately a consolidated requisition for all the transportation allowed in this division, and forward it to Lieutenant Colonel J. S. Godfrey, chief quartermaster of the center grand division, who will obtain it immediately."

The various requisitions have already been made by Lieutenant G. Bancker, acting assistant quartermaster, for additional supply train, and by Captain J. E. Smith, chief of artillery, for teams for reserve artillery ammunition, as required by circular from the office of the chief quartermaster of the army, dated October 22, 1862. Nevertheless, I will immediately prepare another requisition, in accordance with the above instructions, and sincerely trust it will be the last.

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*See pp.803-805.

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Page 834 OPERATIONS IN N.VA.,W.VA.,MD.,AND PA. Chapter XXXIII.