they might throw themselves over the Potomac and attack us, or cut off our communications with the rest of Maryland and all that, and we should want something to resist them; but if we moved from here, driving the enemy before us, the garrisons to be left behind need not be more than 20,000 to 25,000 men; that would enable us to move upon the enemy's flanks-to manœuvre and throw ourselves upon his flanks without having to keep all the time between him and Washington.

Question. Suppose the enemy should make a sudden break through our lines, how much resistance would those fortifications present to them just as they are now?

Answer. They would present a great deal. On the southern side of the Potomac they have more or less garrisons, and gunners actually in them. I should suppose the guns could all be served immediately. There are no artillerymen in the works on this side of the river, but I have no doubt we could place them in a condition to act in a very few days. Still I have been recommending, all the time from the very beginning, that there should be a garrison of gunners in them.

Question. That, you think, would be right and proper?
Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. You do not consider them now, as I understand you, to be really in a condition of efficiency, just as they are now?

Answer. No work is good for anything without a garrison. I do not know but what the commanding general would feel himself capable of garrisoning those on the northern side. I suppose if you had to defend the city of Washington, and belonged to the service, if you could get hold of a gun you would very soon be able to fire it off.

Question. It would not hurt men, for the use of small arms, to make them good gunners in the fortifications?

Answer. No, sir. I was going to say that what ought to be regarded as the principal object of these fortifications, it is to enable Washington to be held while the main body of the army could be set at liberty to operate elsewhere. In that point of view, it is of immense importance that they should be properly manned. The forts have cost a great deal of money, which, I think, has been well expended. The capital of Washington is now of an importance that can scarcely be appreciated; for a great success of the enemy upon the capital would have an untold influence upon the further results of the war.

Question. Seeing that we have built these forts at such an expense, do you, as a military man, consider that quite enough attention is being paid to them, so as to render them perfectly efficient and enable you to release the rest of the army?

Answer. I think the garrisons ought to have been provided and put in the works as fast as they were completed.

Question. Did you ever bring that subject before the general-in-chief or those in command?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What is their opinion about it?

Answer. The general-in-chief has always concurred with me, and constantly said that he was taking measures to have them garrisoned. As I remarked before, he told me that he was relying upon troops being enlisted in New York and Philadelphia as heavy artillery. I have more than once called the attention of headquarters to the subject of garrisons, and also the attention of General Barry, in command of these garrisons.

Question. Have these heavy artillerymen come on yet?

Answer. A great many of them have come. I do not know how many. I suppose not enough to provide garrisons for all. I would like to say a few words in relation to these fortifications about Washington. I believe the

matter has encountered some opposition in the Senate. In the first place,· when we crossed over the Potomac in May last, we commenced the building of works to secure our lines of communication on that shore. But it was not considered as a system of fortifications around the city-not considered as a commencement of that. It was merely forming what we in military language call tetes-du-pont to secure our communication across the river. It was a matter still not agitated whether or not we should make a complete line of fortifications on that side; and it was still more unsettled whether we should continue the line on this side of the river. I was rather opposed to it as a matter of policy, as the rebellion had not then manifested itself quite so vehemently as it has since. And I thought it would be better, perhaps, to hold the city of Washington without fortifications. After the defeat of Bull Run, if the enemy had had the means, and any vigor, he would have followed up our troops without giving us a moment's delay, and the result would have been a very great catastrophe. I believe the fortifications actually then existing was one of the influential reasons which prevented the enemy seizing Arlington Heights at that time. As we were still very much inferior for a month or two, our troops greatly demoralized, and it was very important not to abandon that side of the river, it was considered necessary to extend those lines of fortifications so as to command the heights at Arlington and enable us to hold Alexandria. It was a long line to hold, but still it was very important to hold Alexandria. At the same time there was a very strong probailibty of the enemy crossing the river above, raising Maryland, and attempting to seize our communication with Baltimore, and attacking Washington by land. Under the advice of the commanding general, we commenced occupying the principal approaches and roads leading into the city, and throwing up works at those points. All this was done upon the spur of the moment, under urgent orders from the commanding general. Finally, it took a more definite shape, and it was concluded that it was better that Washington should be surrounded by a system of works by which it could be held with a comparatively small force, and leave the army at liberty to operate wherever it was considered best. That is, in a few words, the origin and motive of the fortifications here. It has been an incessant toil on my part to carry out the plan and properly construct the fortifications.

Question. Suppose the enemy had possession of Arlington Heights, could they destroy the city from that distance?

Answer. If he chose to do so barbarous and foolish a thing as to bombard public buildings and burn up houses he could do it. He would still have the river between himself and us.

Question. I want to know whether, from the destructive character of their projectiles, they could effect the destruction of Washington from Arlington Heights?

Answer. Yes, sir; they could destroy the President's house and reach the Capitol itself. But we could never permit them to have even a camp there, although they had no artillery.

I will say one word more about the fortifications. It is not now the idea that they shall be made merely defensive. The idea is to make our army act offensively.

Question. It is not designed, then, to make the war merely a defensive war? Answer. Not so far as I am concerned; certainly not.

WASHINGTON, January 21, 1862..

General ANDREW PORTER Sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. You are the provost marshal of this district?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Will you state fully to the committee all the information relating to your department as provost marshal?

Answer. I hardly know where to commence. I have a force of regulars in town who carry out all my orders and the instructions I have from General McClellan. I arrest all soldiers and officers in the city without a proper pass. Question. What we want to get at precisely is this, how your department is organized; what it is composed of; what officers and soldiers you have under your command as provost marshal?

Answer. I have under my command all the regular infantry now present in and around Washington; and with them I carry out my instructions for the government of the city, under General McClellan's orders. I have a detective force here, which is not as large as it ought to be, which makes arrests for treascnable conduct or action, and the reports of which go to the Secretary of State, provided they are persons who are guilty of treason against the government. If they are arrested as spies, they belong to General McClellan as prisoners of war.

By Mr. Covode:

Question. What is the amount of that regular force under your command? Answer. I would rather not tell. It is giving information which we want to conceal.

By Mr. Chandler:

Question. You say you have all the regular infantry in the army of the Potomac under your command.

Answer. Yes, sir; all the old regular infantry; all that are of the old regular infantry, the old ten regiments.

Mr. Chandler: We have a statement of that force here.

By Mr. Covode :

Question. You have them all employed in this service?

Answer. Yes, sir; I have charge of the ferries and bridges on this side; I have a guard at the Alexandria boat, at the Long bridge, at the aqueduct, and at the ferries at Georgetown; besides this regular infantry, I have four companies of volunteer cavalry, and two companies of old regular cavalry; the volunteers have been brought in within a short time; they are detailed here for fifteen days.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. We want to get at the force which you have under you as provost marshal in this district?

Answer. I use all the force I have; it is composed of all the old regular infantry.

Question. We want to get at the force which you have under you and in use, which you have under your command as provost marshal, and then we want to know how that force is used?

Answer. I cannot tell you the force exactly; I can aggregate it; I should suppose there is approaching three thousand soldiers.

Question. That is all the force under you as provost marshal.

Answer. Yes, sir; all the military force.

Question. What other force have you?

Answer. There is a secret service force; I do not know how large it is, but it is not so large as I need.

Question. You cannot give their number?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Will you state to us how the military force under you is used? Answer. It is used for guards, for patrols, that go about the city regularly. The command is scattered all over the city.

Question. Is all that force used within the city proper?

Answer. Yes, sir; the city proper, and Georgetown; I have a guard as far down as the navy-yard bridge, and they guard all the ferries.

By Mr. Johnston:

Question. How is this secret detective service paid, and what does it cost per month?

Answer. I do not know. The accounts are approved by General McClellan himself; they are audited at the War Department and State Department both; they go through the hands of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War.

Question. You have about 3,000 soldiers in the cities of Washington and Georgetown as patrols and guards?

Answer. Yes, sir; the organization of the force as a brigade is kept up, and I expect to go forward with them when we move.

Question. It is organized as a brigade, and ready to go forward, or such portion of it as can be spared, whenever there is a forward movement of the army?

Answer. Yes, sir; I expect the whole of it will go forward. General McClellan told me, when I was made provost marshal, that I should make my own conditions, and one was that I should go forward with the army. The reason the regulars were brought here was of course because they were better trained and more steady; I am looking forward to the time when they will be replaced by other troops.

By Mr. Odell:

Question. You have charge of the State prisoners here.

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How many buildings have you for that purpose?

Answer. I have only one now for State prisoners. I have put all of them in the Old Capitol building.

Question. You have given up the female institution?

Answer. Yes, sir; I have put all the female prisoners in the Old Capitol. There are only two of them, I believe. We fixed up some rooms in the upper part quite comfortable for them, where they are quite retired.

Question. Who pays for the support of these prisoners?

Answer. The government pays it. It comes out of the commissary's department. The superintendent of public buildings has charge of that building in a general way-the repairs and all that.

Question. I have reference only to the support of the prisoners. Answer. It is drawn in rations, I believe, from the commissary's department. Question. From the commissary's department of your branch of the service? Answer. Of the army generally. The list of prisoners is brought in at the end of every seven or ten days, or whenever they make out their provision rations. That is taken to the commissary, and he issues the provisions, and they are cooked by servants. Every now and then negroes come in who are almost starving, and we put them at work up there until they can get employment at some other place. If any person wants to hire them, we turn them loose. We obtain our servants in that way from these contrabands, and in that way the prisoners are waited upon without a great deal of expense.

By Mr. Covode:

Question. What is your practice in regard to returning contrabands when they are claimed by loyal persons?

Answer. I have nothing to do with that one way or the other. I will not help any slave to get free, and I will not help any man to get his slave. That is a civil matter.

Question. If they can get employment, you let them go?

Answer. Yes, sir; we keep them only as an act of charity.

Question. We find it a little difficult to learn what communications are properly allowed or tolerated between the enemy and our lines.

Answer. Across our lines into the enemy's lines?

Question. Yes, sir. Do you allow any communications to pass over without you know what they are?

Answer. Certainly not.

By Mr. Chandler :

Question. Do you allow any baggage or packages to go without examination?

Answer. No, sir; nothing of that sort. We do not pass anything here; everything goes down to Fortress Monroe-letters and everything of that sort. They accumulate rapidly. They are generally sent to General McClellan, and he sends them to my office, and I send them down to General Wool.

Question. You permit no communication between the lines here.
Answer. No, sir.

By Mr. Julian :

Question Do you allow persons to go over and come back again, or vice versa? Answer. No, sir; we do not allow anybody to go beyond our pickets, and we arrest anybody that comes within our lines.

By Mr. Covode:

Question. Can you imagine any condition of thing that would justify the allowing of sealed packages to pass one way or the other?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Or to allow officers of the enemy to come over and have intercourse with our officers under flags of truce?

Answer. That might be done. They are brought in in a very careful manner when they do come across, and not allowed to see anything. They are led through our works and our lines blindfolded. With all these precautions a case of that kind might arise. I brought in one person on a reconnoissance over Bull Run. I was out some distance on the other side, and met a party, and brought him along in, sent back his escort and sent him back to Washington.

Question. Would there be such a thing within your jurisdiction as giving a carte blanche to parties to take baggage and luggage of various descriptions, one way or another, into the enemy's lines?

Answer. No, sir; I never heard of it.

Question. You would not think it was right?

Answer. I would not allow it; nobody else would. There would be no end to the mischief it might do.

By Mr. Odell :

Question. Are those communications sent to General Wool sealed-those that are intended to cross our lines?

Answer. We do not read them ourselves; we used to do it. But General Wool examines everything there-he and his officers. Every letter is read before it is suffered to go over. To show how those matters are done : Dr. Miller, of this city, desired to send some clothing, by some persons who were returning, to a daughter who was there. I told him he would get permission from the Secretary of State. He got that permission; and there was a note accompanying the articles to General Wool to examine them. They were examined and found to be what they had been represented to be. I will not allow anything of the sort to go without a permission from the Secretary of State.