By these memoranda it will be seen that the garrisons of Washington and Alexandria numbered as follows:

1. Garrisons 10, 347

2. City guards 5, 402

3. Paroled prisoners 2, 284

4. Detachment Pennsylvania Reserves . 782

Of the troops marked as added to the Army of the Potomac, two brigades were to leave the service in a very short time. General Halleck stated to me that in the item of "city guards" were included all the hospital guards, guards for storehouses, depots, railroads, magazines, &c. ; also orderlies, and the President's guard. The total footing of General Heintzelman's tri-monthly returns for June 10 or 20 (I don't remember which), was 36, 640. I then proceeded immediately to Baltimore, and laid my orders before Major-General Schenck, commanding the Middle Department. He evinced the most earnest desire to comply entirely with your wishes as expressed in my letter. In reply to your verbal instructions, he stated that he coincided entirely with your views; that it was better to defend Washington or Baltimore in the front of either place than at the very gates. He laid before me the returns of his command, a copy of which is inclosed. * These returns show that, while nominally carrying 36, 000 troops, there were actually only a few thousand about Baltimore available for the purposes specified in my instructions. General Kelley's division, of about 12, 000 (officers and men for duty), were at Harper's Ferry; General Milroy's command, of about 7, 500, composed the forces at Winchester, and were in the late engagement there. That portion not captured were scattered and in a disorganized condition in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, not available. The division of General Scammon, of about 4, 800 (officers and men for duty), were out of the line of operations, now west on the Kanawha River, with headquarters at Charleston, W. Va. ; the whole force being spread over about 100 miles, between Mount Pleasant, on the Ohio River, and Fayetteville. Scott's Nine Hundred New York Cavalry had been withdrawn and sent to Washington. The brigade of General Morris, a small command, was at Fort McHenry and Baltimore. The Purnell Legion was at Annapolis, Md., guarding the parole camp. Two regiments and two batteries were with General Schoepf, at Fort Delaware. General Schenck had also a provost guard at Philadelphia, and vedettes and pickets on all the roads leading to Baltimore. He had troops also guarding the Lower Potomac. This statement of the location and condition of General Schenck's command will sufficiently explain to you that is was impossible for me to comply fully with your instructions. I could not but reflect how much easier your plans and purposes could have been accomplished if it had been thought proper to comply with your telegraphic request of last month to the authorities at Washington, that all those troops capable of having any effect upon the operations against Lee's army should be concentrated under one commander. Had this been done, most of the troops in General Schenck's department could have been placed in position heretofore to be available. General Schenck freely accorded to me authority to take from his command whatever troops could be used for the purpose of my instructions.

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* See p. 243

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