Monday, February 24, 2014

Major General George B. McClellan to Abraham Lincoln, April 7, 1862

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
April 7, 1862.

Your telegram of yesterday is received.* In reply I have the honor to state that my entire force for duty amounts to only about 85,000 men. General Wool's command, as you will observe from the accompanying order, has been taken out of my control, although he has most cheerfully cooperated with me. The only use that can be made of his command is to protect my communications in rear of this point. At this time only 53,000 men have joined me, but they are coming up as rapidly as my means of transportation will permit.

Please refer to my dispatch to the Secretary of War to-night for the details of our present situation.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General
__________

* See dispatches on page 11.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 11, Part 1 (Serial No. 12), p. 11

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