being erected at Monocacy Junction and Monrovia for the horses of the battery. The detachment of Eighth and Ninth New York Heavy Artillery are stationed at Fort Dix. They have charge of the ordnance property, magazine, &c., of the fort, and are well armed and equipped.

A medical officer for the troops at Monocacy Junction is much needed There are at present some 550 men at this post, and are compelled to send to Frederick City for medical attention in cases of emergency.

The term of service of a large portion of the infantry force in the brigade will expire before the close of the present month. This will leave the command with not more than 700 effective infantry for duty.

I am, colonel, with respect, your most obedient servant,

FRANCIS I. D. WEBB,

Captain and Acting Assistant Inspector-General.

WILMINGTON, DEL., October 20, 1864.

Brigadier General L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General U. S. Army:

GENERAL: Having just heard of your return from your laborious duties in the West, I feel compelled by a sense of justice to myself, of gratitude and regard to you, through whose consideration I was placed on duty here nearly three years ago, and of duty to the service, which I am not aware of having ever disgraced, to lay before you the following statement:

After performing, almost unaided, the many duties devolved upon me, from the fact of my being the senior and much of the time the only military officer in this State, for move than two years and a half, I found in August last that the duties of military commander were becoming so important, arduous, and so unnecessarily complicated, through the persistent interference and determination to control military affairs by a few local political managers here, as to render it essential that these duties should be entirely separated from those of mustering and disbursing officer. I therefore asked for and obtained from the Adjutant-General's Office a relief from the first-mentioned duties. The nominal and recognized district commander, Brigadier-General Lockwood, residing in Baltimore, caused the real and practical responsibility and command throughout the State to devolve upon, me with no assistants, save on in the mustering office. Whether I discharged my duties satisfactorily during all this period is best know to the officers in charge of the various departments with which I had to deal. I know that my energy, time, and talents were devoted to the service of the Government without stint or drawback, and that the confinement and anxiety, especially during the period of the rebel raid last summer, is rapidly breaking me down.

It is not too much for me to say, what was apparent to all whose business it was to know, that in anticipation of and during the invasions by the rebels in the summers of 1863 and 1864, the entire protection of the Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, and the raising of troops for the defense of the State, devolved upon me, every available soldier having been withdrawn to Baltimore and the line of road left entirely unguarded. In each instance I raised and threw along the exposed points of this road from 1,000 to 1,500 well armed and organized men before the enemy could reach it, and this in the midst of such a storm of abuse and calumny as could only proceed from a set of cowardly skulkers, whom no appeals or persuasions could induce to