I will only add that if we have a co-operating army acting with us on the line of the railroad, or possibly even on the James River, the necessity of works of defense would be greatly reduced.

In throwing together these thoughts, I have had no idea of criticizing the operations of the Army of the Potomac in its former campaign, nor am I presumptuous enough to suppose that they will be the means of entirely changing the plan of the operations now before it; but I could not well develop my idea of the importance of having good military roads, and their feasibility in the present position of the army, without thinking of what I had seen in the Peninsula, or without selecting a point from which the proposed roads may be built.

If you think these observations possess any merit, I will be obliged to you will forward them to the major-general commanding the army.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. S. ALEXANDER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, and Aide-de-Camp.

Abstract from tri-monthly return of the army of the Potomac, Major General Ambrose E. Burnside commanding, for December 10, 1862.

Present for duty. Present for duty equipped.

Infantry.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate Offic Men.

present. ers.

General staff 67 1 68

Escort 7 148 170

(McIntyre)

Provost Guard 56 1,040 1,332

(Patrick)

Regular 2 379 433 2 266

Engineer

Battalion.

(Cross).

Volunteer 34 914 1,107 52 1,453

Engineer

Brigade. (

Woodbury)

Quartermaster's 26 233 343

Guard

(Ingalls).

Signal Corps 39 111 171

(Cushing)

Right Grand 1,741 29,918 32,432 1,088 25,293

Division +

(Sumner).

Center Grand 2,132 38,264 47,952 1,881 33,724

Division

(Hooker).

Left Grand 2,388 44,509 53,543 2,151 39,053

Division

(Franklin).

Eleventh Corps 688 14,874 18,266 605 12,620

(Sigel).

Twelfth Corps 614 11,548 15,584 534 9,541

(Slocum).

Defenses Upper 280 5,302 6,342 2,825

Potomac

(Morell).

Defenses of 2,005 44,383 63,068

Washington

(Heintzeiman).

Total 10,079 191,624 245,811 6,313 124,715

Command. Office Men. Offic Men. Pieces Aggrega

rs. ers. duty. te

present

and

absent.

General staff 68

Escort 7 148 231

(McIntyre)

Provost Guard 13 190 1,772

(Patrick)

Regular 499

Engineer

Battalion.

(Cross).

Volunteer 2,102

Engineer

Brigade. (

Woodbury)

Quartermaster' 14 137 404

s Guard

(Ingalls).

Signal Corps 232

(Cushing)

Right Grand 3 85 39 1,228 90 57,974

Division

(Sumner).

Center Grand 118 2,269 66 1,926 104 67,446

Division

(Hooker).

Left Grand 151 2,900 81 2,556 118 76,435

Division

(Franklin).

Eleventh Corps 9 125 22 875 42 22,600

(Sigel).

Twelfth Corps 6 125 33 972 55 21,209

(Slocum).

Defenses Upper 2,513 234 7,596

Potomac

(Morell).

Defenses of 273 70,266

Washington

(Heintzelman).

Total 321 8,492 241 7,791 682 328,934

[Note.-The Right Grand Division (Second and Ninth Corps), the Center Grand Division (Third and Fifth Corps), and the Left Grand Division (First and Sixth Corps), at Fredericksburg; the Bloventh Corps at Fairfax Court-House; and the Twelfth Corps at Harper s Ferry.]

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* See p. 807.

+ Approximate. Hancock's division omitted in " present for duty equipped" on original return, which gives 20,293. General Hancock says (p. 228) that his maximum strength taken into action was 5,006.

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71 R R - VOL XXI