pressed. The return of the regiments from the First and Second Divisions had given the authorities additional means of preserving the peace, and contributed largely to the restoration of a sense of security among the citizens.

Upon the return of our Brooklyn regiments, I dismissed the Sixteenth Regiment, Colonel [Alfred] Wagstaff, with the approbation of the civil authorities. The excellent behavior of the command, and the prompt and resolute conduct of the colonel and his officers, entitle both officers and men to a special acknowledgment of the value of the services. By direction of the police commissioners, and with the approbation of His Excellency, from July 31 to August 18, a guard was kept at the armories of the Twenty-third, Forty-seventh, and Fifty-sixth Regiments, by these regiments respectively. The Seventieth Regiment was posted at the arsenal, and the Twenty-eighth Regiment had charge of the city armory until relieved on the 16th of August by the Thirteenth Regiment.

On the 17th of August, I received a requisition from the police commissioners, to call out the division of militia under my command, to aid the civil authorities in preserving the peace and suppressing any tumult, riot, or insurrection in the city of Brooklyn. This requisition was made in view of the commencement of drafting in the city of New York, on the 19th of August.

I immediately issued orders to the Fifth and Eleventh Brigades, requiring them to assemble on the 18th of August, for the purposes mentioned, and reported my action to the commissioners, who there-upon directed that the residue of the division be held in readiness, but not called out until further orders.

On the 17th of August, I also received a request from His Excellency the commander-in-chief to proceed to Albany, to confer with him, and, in compliance therewith. I visited Albany, and received general directions from His Excellency as to the course to be pursued to prevent and to repress disorder within my district. On the 18th of August, the Thirteenth, Twenty-third, Twenty-eighth, Forty-seventh, Fifty-second, and Fifty-sixth Regiments assembled, in obedience to orders, and were from that time held to duty, with suitable intervals of relief, until the 8th of September. Strong guards were kept at the arsenal and city armory, and at the armory of the Forty-seventh Regiment (eastern district); and the other regimental armories were closed, and the arms removed, so as to leave us at all hours of the day and night with a sufficient force, unembarrassed with guard duty, to move to any part of the city. The Thirteenth, Twenty-third, and Fifty-second were on duty at the city armory, the Twenty-eighth was at times at the arsenal, at the city armory, and in the eastern district of Brooklyn, as necessity seemed to require. The Seventieth Regiment was at the State Arsenal, as its permanent guard, supported at times by the Fifty-sixth.

While the drawing was progressing in Brooklyn, a portion of the cavalry and artillery stood ready, with horses at hand, for immediate service.

The orders for the service of the troops were issued specially and on the moment to each regiment, and the places and times of assembly and dismissal of the forces not part of the permanent guards were constantly changed, so that their movements could in no event be known or anticipated, and the concentration was such as to enable us to use what force we had to the best advantage, and on all