HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT
OF THE EAST,
New York City,
December 15, 1863.
Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief:
GENERAL: In your report of the 15th November, to the
Secretary of War, I find the following paragraph:
When the rebel army was moving north upon Maryland and
Pennsylvania, General Dix sent all of his available force from Norfolk and Fort
Monroe up the York River, for the purpose of cutting off Lee's communications
with Richmond, and of attacking that place, which was then defended by only a
handful of militia. The expedition, however, failed to accomplish a single
object for which it had been fitted out, the failure resulting, it was alleged,
from the inefficiency of one of the generals commanding. General Dix therefore
ordered its return, and sent the troops of which it was composed to re-enforce
the army of General Meade north of the Potomac.
As there seems to be a misapprehension on your part in
regard to two or three of the most essential particulars, I desire to call your
attention to them in connection with the subjoined statement of facts.
1. That I sent all my “available force, * * * up the York
River, for the purpose of cutting off Lee’s communications with Richmond, and
of attacking that place.”
The following is your order, under which I acted:
Lee's army is in motion toward the
Shenandoah Valley. All your available force should be concentrated to threaten
Richmond by seizing and destroying their railroad bridges over the South and
North Anna Rivers, and do them all the damage possible. If you cannot
accomplish this, you can at least occupy a large force of the enemy. There can
be no serious danger of an attack on Norfolk now.
It will be perceived that an attack on Richmond was not a
part of the plan. That city is understood to be nearly as strongly fortified as
Vicksburg, and only to be taken by regular siege.
2. That Richmond “was then defended by only a handful of
militia.”
An intercepted letter from Jefferson Davis to General Lee,
dated the 28th of June, the day the last of my troops arrived at the White
House, states that there were three brigades in Richmond, and part of Hill’s
division, besides Wise's brigade on the east side of the city. These were all
regular troops and not militia; there was, in addition, a body of trained
artillerists in the intrenchments, the Home Guards, and a convalescent brigade.
3. That the “expedition failed to accomplish the object for
which it had been fitted out.”
The objects of the expedition, as stated in your order, were
threefold: (1) To threaten Richmond; (2) to destroy the railroad bridges over
the South and North Anna Rivers, and do the enemy as much damage as possible;
and (3) to occupy a large force of the enemy. The first and last of these
objects were effectually accomplished, the second partially, and, I may say,
substantially. One of the bridges over the South Anna was destroyed. Although
the other was not destroyed, the railroad track between it and Richmond
was-torn up for a considerable distance, and the bridge at Ashland, on the same
road, 11 miles out of Richmond, was completely demolished and burned, as well
as the depot at that station.
Colonel Spear's expedition, sent out under written
instructions, was a most successful and creditable one. He destroyed the
first-mentioned bridge and the quartermaster's depot at Hanover Station,
bringing back 35 army wagons, 700 horses and mules, and General Fitzhugh [W. H.
F.] Lee, the son of the rebel general-in-chief, now in confinement at Fort
Lafayette as a hostage, and over 100 prisoners.
I had only been three days at the White House when my forces
were ordered back to re-enforce General Meade. At that time I had completely
cut off General Lee's communications with Richmond by way of the two railroads
crossing the South Anna, and had control of the whole country from the Pamunkey
to the Rappahannock.
To myself, this correction of a statement, which I am sure
is inadvertent, is of less consequence than to the gallant troops under my
command. For their sake I ask permission to give publicity to this letter, or
to my report of the expedition, dated the 16th of July last.
I am, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. DIX,
Major-General.
SOURCE: Morgan Dix, Memoirs of John Adams Dix,
Volume 2, p. 57, 8-9; The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 27,
Part 1 (Serial No. 43), p. 18-9
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