be made by Sumner. You will understand this is a field report for you alone, not for publication, by your request.

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, CAMP NEAR ALEX., VA.,
August 30, 1862 - 9.15 a. m.

Major-General HALLECK:

Heavy artillery firing is now in progress in the direction of Fairfax Court-House. There has been a good deal of it for two or three hours. I hear it so distinctly that I should judge it to be this side of Fairfax. Have not been able to ascertain the cause. It seems that the garrisons in the works on north side of Potomac are Altogether too small.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

August 30, 1862 - 9.40 a. m.

Major-General McCLELLAN, Alexandria, Va.:

I am by no means satisfied with General Franklin's march of yesterday. considering the circumstances of the case, he was very wrong in stopping at Annandale. Moreover, I learned last night that the Quartermaster's Department could have given him plenty of transportation, if he had applied for it, any time since his arrived at Alexandria. He knew the importance of opening communication with General Pope's army, and should have acted more promptly.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
August 30, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: Ever since General Franklin received notice that he was to march from Alexandria he has been using every effort to get transportation for his extra ammunition, but he was uniformly told by the quartermasters here that there was none disposable, and his command marched without wagons.*

After the departure of his corps, at 6 a. m. yesterday, he procured 20 wagons, to carry a portion of his ammunition, by unloading some of General Banks' supply train for that purpose.

General Sumner was one entire day in endeavoring, by application upon quartermasters and others, to get a sufficient number of wagons to transport his reserve ammunition, but without success, and was obliged to march without it.

I have this morning sent all my headquarters train that is landed to be at once loaded with ammunition for Sumner and Franklin' but they will not go far toward supplying the deficiency.

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*This letter is probably the original of dispatch given in Series I, Vol. XI, Part I, p.100.

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