CAMDEN STATION, BALTIMORE, July 9, 1864. (Received 11. 50 p. m.)

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:

Baltimore is in great peril. We have been appointed by the mayor a committee to confer with you upon this subject and to impress upon you the absolute necessity of sending large re-enforcements. If is too late to organize the citizens to any extent before the enemy will be upon us. The committee are advised that it may be difficult to confer with you in person on account of the rapid approach of the enemy. Can we rely upon the prompt aid of the Government in sending re-enforcements?

THOS. SWANN.

EVAN T. ELLICOTT.

WM. E. HOOPER.

THOS. S. ALEXANDER.

MICHL. WARNER.

WASHINGTON, July 9, 1864.

Major General H. W. HALLECK:

GENERAL: In view of any conceivable probability of an attack on Washington, I feel it may duty to say that the most important re-enforcement we could have, and one to be obtained at least expense in proportion to its importance to the Army of the Potomac, would be the heavy artillery regiments formerly serving here. The First and Second Connecticut Regiments are serving as artillery regiments with that army and should not be disturbed, but the others, or most of them, are very much reduced in numbers, and through loss of field officers and numerical weakness very much injured in efficiency as infantry regiments. They are at best worth only so much infantry to General Grant. To the defenses of Washington they would be of value not to be estimated. The militia regiments now garrisoning the forts scarcely know how to load or fire the guns. These artillery regiments are experienced and skillful gunners; know the guns and know the localities. The remnant of these regiments would furnish a full complement of experienced gunners to all the forts, and impart confidence to the militia troops now in forts, and give to the defense a reliability which it cannot have, do what we may without them.

J. G. BARNARD,

Bvt. Major General, Chief Engineer, Defenses of Washington.

P. S. -I am aware that one regiment, the New York Ninth, has been ordered back, but would wish that the other and far better regiments should likewise come so as to have in each fort gunners and officers familiar with the localities.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, July 9, 1864.

Colonel TOWNSEND:

All officers and men of the Signal Corps in the Department of Washington will report to General Augur for such temporary duty as he may assign them to.

H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General and Chief of Staff.