HDQRS. OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, January 8, 1862.

General THOMAS HILLHOUSE,

Adjutant-General New York State, Albany, N. Y.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of December 21, offering in the name of His Excellency the Governor the men to garrison the forts within the State of New York. The emergency has happily passed which would require prompt action on the subject but the United States Government will at a convenient time look to the defenses of our frontiers and sea- ports. Meantime the Government holds in high appreciation this new proof of the patritism of the State of New York.

I am, sir, &c.,

[L. THOMAS,]

Adjutant-General.

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT,

Washington, January 8, 1862.

His Excellency Governor E. D. MORGAN,

Albany, N. Y.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the letter of Messrs. Nash, Sibley, and Smith of the 2nd instant on the defenseless condition of the harbor of Rochester, referred by you to this office. In the application made by this department to Congress for appropriations for the fortifications (see Ex. Doc. Numbers 6 of the present session) there is asked, "For the fortifications on the Northern frontier (including certain named points), $750,000." Any portion of this amount that may be needed for Rochester will, on the appropriation being made, be fully available for that harbor for its defenses. Besides this there are two other items in the estimate above specified, amounting together to $600,000 more, which may likewise be used as far as necessary for defense of Rochester. In any event, this department would not hesitate in case of any deficiency of funds for defenses of the frontiers of New York to advise the War Department to call upon that State to make such advances as might be needed for the purpose, an d it is presumed that advances as might be needed for the purpose, and it is presumed that ample means would thus be speedily obtained.

Finally, it is well to say that the country is much more in need of large guns, and large numbers of them, for the defense of its frontiers, for in extremity temporary defenses may speedily be erected at moderate cost that will answer the purpose tolerably well; but the cannon cannot be in any sense improvised. Much time, labor, and money must be expended in their preparation.

Your Excellency will recollect that in my letter to you of the 30th ultimo I mentioned particularly the port of Rochester as one of those demanding defenses.

I have the honor, &c.,

JOS. G. TOTTEN,

Brevet Brigadier-General and Colonel of Engineers.

50 R R-SERIES III, VOL I