Richmond, he has a railroad upon which to bring re-enforcements, and a railroad communication to Acquia Creek and his main force at Manassas. It would therefore be necessary to land, in the first place, with a heavy force, to avoid the disaster of being overwhelmed and driven into the bay.

The Chief of the Quartermaster's Department at the head-quarters of the Army of the Potomac, Brigadier-General Van Vliet estimates that with every exertion, and taking canal-boats, brigs, &c., &c., to be found in the waters of the Chesapeake and Delaware, he could assemble transportation, for thirty thousand men, in about twenty days from the time he should receive the order. Nothing is on hand save what is in current use here on the Potomac. The above estimate does not include any land transportation for the troops after their debarkation, nor any for the horses of the cavalry, but only for the troops and their baggage and subsistence.

The Assistant Secretary of War, I understand, is of opinion that all the available means of water transportation would be fully taxed to provide for even twelve thousand men.

In view of the difficulties mentioned, and unforeseen delays, always sure to happen, I do not think a move by water of so large a force as I deem necessary could be counted upon under a month.

To move against the enemy in front, we have thirteen divisions, of about ten thousand men each, and General Banks's Division at Frederick.

There is for this force four thousand four hundred wagons ready for service.

If we use the railroads out of Alexandria, and connect them over the Long Bridge with the Baltimore Railroad, about two thousand of these wagons and ten thousand animals may be dispensed with, certainly for the present.

Of artillery there is sufficient (three hundred and fifty pieces).

Of artillery ammunition there is sufficient to begin with, good for all but New York regiments. Twelve thousand three hundred and forty new Austrian and fifteen to twenty thousand rifles in New York; ammunition for the latter, none for the former.

Small-arms ammunition sufficient to commence with.

Siege train:-ten ten-inch mortars, with ammunition; five thirty-twopound howitzers, with troops.

Shelter tents and stretchers, forty-three thousand.

From the foregoing it seems to me the army should be ready to move in all of next week. The main difficulty, I think, is in its yet incomplete organization, which could soon be remedied.

(Signed)

January 10, 1862.

I. MCDOWELL, Brigadier-General.

TO GENERAL M'CLELLAN.

President Lincoln addressed the following letter to General McClellan after the latter had landed his forces on the Peninsula in the spring of 1862. It relates to several points in which the General's action had already excited a good deal of public uneasiness, and been made the subject of public comment:

FORTRESS MONROE, May 9, 1862.

MY DEAR SIR:-I have just assisted the Secretary of War in forming the part of a dispatch to you, relating to army corps, which dispatch,

of course, will have reached you long before this will. I wish to say a few words to you privately on this subject. I ordered the army corps organization not only on the unanimous opinion of the twelve generals of division, but also on the unanimous opinion of every military man I could get an opinion from, and every modern military book, yourself only excepted. Of course, I did not on my own judgment pretend to understand the subject. I now think it indispensable for you to know how your struggle against it is received in quarters which we cannot entirely disregard. It is looked upon as merely an effort to pamper one or two pets, and to persecute and degrade their supposed rivals. I have had no word from Sumner, Heintzelman, or Keyes. The commanders of these corps are of course the three highest officers with you, but I am constantly told that you have no consultation or communication with them; that you consult and communicate with nobody but Fitz John Porter, and perhaps General Franklin. I do not say these complaints are true or just; but, at all events, it is proper you should know of their existence. Do the commanders of corps disobey your orders in any thing?

When you relieved General Hamilton of his command the other day, you thereby lost the confidence of at least one of your best friends in the Senate. And here let me say, not as applicable to you personally, that Senators and Representatives speak of me in their places as they please without question; and that officers of the army must cease addressing insulting letters to them for taking no greater liberty with them. But to return, are you strong enough, even with my help, to set your foot upon the neck of Sumner, Heintzelman, and Keyes, all at once? This is a practical and very serious question for you.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

C.

WARNINGS AGAINST ASSASSINATION.

ALLUSION is made in the preceding pages to warnings which reached the Government at various times, of plots on foot against the lives of the President and other eminent officials. In reply to a letter of this kind from Hon. John Bigelow, then American Consul at Paris, Mr. Seward, the Secretary of State, wrote as follows:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, July 15, 1864.

* * There is no doubt that, from a period anterior to the breaking out of the insurrection, plots and conspiracies for the purposes of assassination have been frequently formed and organized, and it is not unlikely that such a one as has been reported to you is now in agitation among the insurgents. If it be so, it need furnish no ground for anxiety. Assassination is not an American practice or habit, and one so vicious and so desperate cannot be engrafted into our political system. This conviction of mine has steadily gained strength since the civil war begun. Every day's experience confirms it. The President during the heated season occupies a country house near the Soldiers' Home, two or three miles from the city. He goes to and from that place on horseback night and morning unguarded. I go there unattended at all hours, by daylight and moonlight, by starlight, and without any light.

At a later date, very soon, indeed, before the assassination of the President and the horrible attempt upon his own life, Mr. Seward received the following communication from our consul in London. It was upon the strength of these letters that the consultation was held to which allusion is made in the preceding page:

UNITED STATES CONSULATE, LONDON, March 17, 1865. MY DEAR SIR:--I herewith enclose for your perusal two private letters received this week from "B," my secret agent in France. On receiving the first, dated March 12th, I immediately wrote to him for a more full statement of all he knew about its contents. I stated to him that the story seemed very improbable; that if they intended to resort to such diabolical modes of warfare, they could find instruments enough near at hand to serve them in such a capacity, and have their work done or attempted more speedily than it could be by sending assassins from Europe; that the assassins would be sure to forfeit their own lives, &c. At the same time I could not shut out from my mind the idea that the starving of our prisoners, shooting and torturing them, the hotel burnings, the piracies, the hanging of Union men in the insurgent States, the murdering of prisoners of war in cold blood after surrendering, and their manifold acts of cruelty, rendered the purposes named not only probable, but in harmony with their character and acts. My letter brought the further explanation contained in the second letter of the 14th inst. You perceive the statement of B. rests on the declaration of or a man who now goes by that name. He is a business agent of the rebels, and has the confidence of the leaders to as great an extent perhaps as any one employed by them, or any one under their direction. He travels most of the time from place to place, giving directions and superintending the purchase and shipment of war material. B. has travelled much with him, and seems to have his entire confidence. I do not think would make such a revelation to B. unless he believed it well founded. If they are to come out openly as professional assassins, it is not at all probable that the distinguished persons named are the only ones selected for their vengeance, or that our Chief Magistrate, or General Grant, are left out of their rôle. The dangers they see to them in the calm forbearance, the inflexible justice and firm determination of President Lincoln, will not be overlooked by them.

According to my request, a full description of the man calling himself Clark is given in the second letter. Johnston is unknown to "B." If Clark has really set forth on such a mission, he will probably attempt to make his way into Sherman's camp as a private soldier, and attempt the deed during an engagement when Sherman is under fire.

Whether there is any actual foundation for what is set forth in the letters or not, I think it not my duty to withhold them, for fear it may be only another added to the thousand false rumors which have got into circulation. I send you all I have been able to learn on the subject, that you may act as you deem expedient in the case. Permit me to express my earnest desire, whatever may be the wish of the rebels in regard to you, and I dare say they are the worst that fiendish brains can entertain, that your valuable life may long be spared to your friends and the service of the Republic.

I remain, dear sir, most truly yours,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

F. H. MORSE.

P. S.-Please regard B.'s letter as strictly confidential, I mean as far as the name of the writer is concerned.

PARIS, Sunday, March 12, 1865.

MY DEAR SIR:-I wrote you on Friday eve late, in hopes it would reach you at your hotel last evening. I have learned only an hour since, that on Tuesday or Wednesday a steamer will be in waiting at Belisle, or the island of Oleron (the last named some forty miles off the mouth of Bordeaux Erie) with war material and supplies for the rams; most of the stuff is from Hamburg, reshipped on board of an English steamer, which has been chartered for the purpose. She is a Newcastle steamer, and said to be very swift. I must communicate at once with Walker at Ferrol. Two desperate characters have just left here (on Wednesday, I believe, but not sure), one for the North and the other for the South; one of them I know; he has been loafing here for some time, hard up. His name is Clark, the other Johnston, but to the best of my knowledge I had never seen him, he having been here only a few days. Their object is the assassination of Sherman and Mr. Seward. Clark is to join Sherman's army and accomplish his deed. The other goes direct to Washington, and the first opportunity that offers kill Mr. Seward. Their expenses are paid, and if successful in the accomplishment of their murderous designs, are to receive five thousand dollars each. Here is a pretty state of affairs; and I fear those are not the only ones that they intend wreaking their vengeance upon, and you must take immediate steps to convey this to Mr. Seward and General Sherman, as I feel positive it is true, for the party that divulged to me has the greatest confidence in me, and would not have said such a thing to me were it not true. They think by getting rid of Mr. Seward that it will be utterly impossible to get another as able to fill his place, as they say, so rabid for the utter annihilation of the Southern cause. And Sherman being the only real General that we have got, if he could be got rid of, the task is an easy one, as there is no Yankee, to use their expression, to be found that can fill his place. And only see the ingenuity of the rebels here; they have caused to be circulated, and it is quite current, that General Sherman is dead. This is done for the sole cause to prepare the public mind to receive his death beforehand, so as that they may not be taken by surprise. It is from beginning to end a deep laid plot, and the Devil himself is no match for them. I have given you all the facts so far as I know, and at once, as I considered it my duty so to do as soon as possible, so that you may convey it to Washington with all dispatch. I don't know this Johnston, or I would describe him, so that he might be arrested at once, but to my knowledge I have never seen him. Cooper came last night, and to-day spent an hour with me. On leaving he said he would return and dine with me, but about an hour since I learned that he went off in haste to Cherbourg. I don't know what's up there, as I have heard nothing from them; but there must be something in the wind. Friday a courier was sent off as I stated to you, as I was asked to go; but being ill I could not, and to-day, Cooper leaving so suddenly, looks suspicious. I can give you a full description of Clark at once if you wish it. I am better, and quite able to undertake the journey to Bordeaux or Ferrol, but as yet keep myself in doors, so that I may not be called on to go anywhere for them before I hear from you: then I can excuse myself for a few days in the country, so as to be able to get to Bordeaux. I hope you have received my note on Saturday eve, and written me to-day. If I am to go to B- there is no time to be lost. If you have not written me before you receive this, send me twenty pounds, so that I may be prepared for any emergency. Hoping that all of the first of the note will be received at Washington in time to frustrate the hellish designs, I am truly yours, B.

PARIS, March 14, 1865. DEAR SIR:-Yours of yesterday came duly to hand this morning, and I answer in as brief a manner as possible to its contents in every particular, as you request.

The ram, at Bordeaux, leaves that port to go to Germany, where report says she is to be sold to the Prussian Government. So did the other -now the Stonewall, in Confederate hands, laying at Ferrol, Spainleave Bordeaux, for the use of the Danish Government. They must use strategy to get them out of a French port-once out, they can do as they please with her. I am perfectly satisfied, and I believe it beyond a question of doubt, that the ram now at-Bordeaux belongs to, and is intended for the use of the rebels, and will go into their hands, if not directly, indirectly, especially if there is any pressure used by the French Government. But my opinion is, this Government will only wink at her departure. I have repeatedly (being one of the order of the Sons) heard the above things discussed, from time to time, by McCulloch, DeLeon, Heustis, Macfarlan, and others of the secret order. The captain of the Stonewall, Captain Page, is here, and has been for some days (I forgot to mention this in my last), as well as several of the officers of the late rebel steamer Florida, and. I believe they leave to-day. The Stonewall is lying at Ferrol, and the Niagara is at Corunna-two different harbors, but not far apart. I hear nothing as to when they intend to leave Ferrol, but this much I have learned-that when they are ready to go to sea, they will run one to Corunna where the Niagara is, and demand of the Spanish Government twenty-four hours' detention of the Niagara, so as to enable them to put to sea. But if Commodore Craven adopts the plan I suggested when I last saw him, this plan of theirs will be easily evaded. Clark I believe to be the real name of the party of whom I wrote you in my last; he has been hanging on here for some time. They could have no possible object in imposing on me in this particular. That's his business, and both he and Johnston have gone, for the avowed purpose, as I have before stated to you, of taking the lives of Mr. Seward and General Sherman. I have not the least doubt but that there are others watching for the same opportunity. The opinion is with many of them here, that Mr. Seward is de facto the President, and does just as he pleases, and were it not for him, they could come to some amicable arrangement. It would be useless for me to repeat to you all that I hear on the subject, and the arguments pro and con. This Clark, I believe, has some other mission as well as that of seeking the life of General Sherman. He is in height about five feet nine inches, rather slender, thin in flesh, high cheek-bones, low forehead, eyes dark and sunken, very quiet, seldom or ever speaks in company unless spoken to, has a large dark-brown mustache, and large, long goatee; hair much darker than whiskers, and complexion rather sallow. While here wore gray clothes and wide-awake slouchhat. He is a Texan by birth, has a very determined look, and from all appearances, I should judge, would, if possible, accomplish whatever he undertakes. The other man, Johnston, I know nothing of, as he was only here some three or four days-he came from Canada, via Liverpoolnor would it be prudent for me to make any inquiries concerning him, under the circumstances, as, if any thing ever transpires, and he was taken, suspicion from that fact might point to me. And I beg that on no occasion will you ever make use of my name, so that they could get any clue to me; if you did, from that moment my fate would be sealed, especially as I have bound myself to their cause, under so fearful an oath. I once entertained a very high opinion of the Southerners, but from recent