Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Brevet Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott to Brigadier-General Benjamin F. Butler, May 9, 1861

Headquarters of the Army, WASHINGTON, April 25th, 1861

Brig’r. General B. F. BUTLER, Mass. Vols.

SIR: If this letter should find you not too far this side of Annapolis, I will ask you to consider yourself, for a time, as the Commander of that City, and retain a competent force to hold it. Next, I wish you to select a regiment (one of your brigade, or any other) and string it, at convenient distances, all along the Railroad by the Junction and towards this City – as far as its numbers may suffice, to protect the road, its rails, bridges, and cars, so as to keep the communication open for troops and travellers between Annapolis and Washington by rail.

The principal points in the road to be occupied are: the Junction, Bettsville, the bridges, cross roads, and a few of the other stations. Some of the intermediate stations may also require detachments, and every post ought to be instructed to throw out scouts to the right and left frequently during the night and day.

If the regiment takes, in the first instance, cooked provisions for a few days, the posts may afterwards be supplied by the trains which will be passing daily. Tents and cooking utensils will perhaps be needed at some of the posts or detachments. Send to this place all the spare troops from Annapolis as fast as you may find means of transportation; and report often.

Very Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT.

SOURCE: Jessie Ames Marshall, Editor, Private and Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler During the Period of the Civil War, Volume 1: April 1860 – June 1862, p. 42

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