April 1, 1862 (Tuesday): The Force Left To Protect Washington

Steamer Commodore, Drawing of Sinking In 1867 off New Jersey

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Steamer Commodore, April 1, 1862. 

GENERAL: I have to request that you will lay the following communication before the honorable Secretary of War:
   The approximate numbers and positions of the troops left near and in rear of the Potomac are as follows:
General Dix has, after guarding the railroads under his charge, sufficient to give him 5,000 for the defense of Baltimore and 1,988 available for the Eastern Shore, Annapolis, & c. Fort Delaware is very well garrisoned by about 400 men.
    The garrisons of the forts around Washington amount to 10,600 men; other disposable troops now with General Wadsworth about 11,400 men.
    The troops employed in guarding the various railways in Maryland amount to some 3,359 men. These it is designed to relieve, being old regiments, by dismounted cavalry, and to send forward to Manassas.
General Abercrombie occupies Warrenton with a force which, including Colonel Geary at White Plains and the cavalry to be at his disposal, will amount to some 7,780 men, with 12 pieces of artillery.
    I have the honor to request that all the troops organized for service in Pennsylvania and New York and in any of the Eastern States may be ordered to Washington. I learn from Governor Curtin that there are some 3,500 men now ready in Pennsylvania. This force I should be glad to have sent to Manassas. Four thousand men from General Wadsworth I desire to be ordered to Manassas. These troops, with the railroad guards above alluded to, will make up a force under the command of General Abercrombie of something like 18,639 men.
    It is my design to push General Blenker's division from Warrenton upon Strasburg. He should remain at Strasburg long enough to allow matters to assume a definite form in that region before proceeding to his ultimate destination.
    The troops in the valley of the Shenandoah will thus, including Blenker's division, 10,028 strong, with 24 pieces of artillery; Banks' Fifth Corps, which embraces the command of General Shields, 19,687 strong, with 41 guns; some 3,652 disposable cavalry and the railroad guards, about 2,100 men, amount to about 35, 467 men.
    t is designed to relieve General Hooker by one regiment, say 850 men, being, with some 500 cavalry, 1,350 men on the Lower Potomac.

To recapitulate -
Men.
At Warrenton there is to be ............................. 7,780
At Manassas, say ........................................10,859
In the valley of the Shenandoah .........................35,467
On the Lower Potomac .................................... 1,350
In all ..................................................55,456
T   here would thus be left for the garrisons and the front of Washington, under General Wadsworth, some 18,000, inclusive of the batteries under instruction. The troops organizing or ready for service in New York, I learn, will probably number more than 4,000. These should be assembled at Washington, subject to disposition where their services may be most required.
    I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,



    GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,
    Major-General, Commanding.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 5, Part 1, Page 61.

McClellan here counts the force in the Shenandoah Valley as available for the defense of Washington.  Given the small size of Jackson's force it is probable some portion of the Union force in the valley could have realistically been rapidly recalled to the defense of Washington, as Jackson did not have the strength to interpose between them and the capital.  But there is no doubt he was leaving less force than he had promised, with only about 20,000 men actually in the defenses of Washington.  Within days, the Secretary of War would direct that either the corp of McDowell or of Sumner must be left in the vacinity to secure defenses there.  McClellan wrote this letter from the steamer Commodore, having met in person with President Lincoln earlier in the day as he departed for the Peninsula.