Captain, W. P. Tillman; Co. I (West Troy)Captain, John M. Landon; Co. K (Valatia)Captain, B. Pruyn.

THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT N. Y. S. V. THE following are the officers of the ThirtySecond:

Field.-Colonel, Roderick Matherson; Lieutenant-Colonel, Francis E. Pinto; Major, Geo. F. Lemon.

Staff-Adjutant, J. Sparrow Purdie; Quartermaster, T. West; Chaplain, Rev. George Ryer; Surgeon, Wm. B. Little.

Line.-Captains: Jerome Rowe, Chas. Hubbles, Benj. J. Hayes, W. W. Chalmy, Elisha S. Youngs, Enas E. Fish, James H. Butler, Russell Myers, H. Howard Solomon, John Whitlock. Lieutenants: James H. Ticknor, Wm. E. Stone, W. J. Simmons, Wm. W. Lee, John Stewart, E. Sparrow Purdy, Joseph C. Hyatt, Samuel McKie, George H. Moore, Hiram W. Jackson. Ensigns: Wm. O. Wyckoff, J. P. Alucilus, John Persigne, William Atchison, Hewit Andrew Parkes, Anthony J. Altaire, Jos. T. Newell, J. W. Munterstock, Prentiss P. Hughes.

THE CALIFORNIA REGIMENT. THE following is a list of the officers: Field-Officers.-Colonel, E. D. Baker; Lieutenant-Colonel, Isaac J. Wister; Major, Robert A. Parrish, Jr.; Adjutant, E. D. Baker, Jr.; Quartermaster, Francis G. Young; Surgeon, Alfred C. Baker; Assistant-Surgeon, Justin Dwinell.

Non-Commissioned Staff. - Sergeant-Major, John C. Smith; Quartermaster-Sergeant, Geo. W. Wheeler; Commissary-Sergeant, James W. Becker; Right General Guide, John W. Flecker; Left General Guide, William H. Fry; Hospital Nurse, Wm. H. Plumly.

Line Officers.-Co. A-First Lieutenant, John Markoe, commanding; Second Lieutenant, vacant; Co. B-Captain, James W. Lurgenfelter; First Lieutenant, John Benker, Jr.; Second Lieutenant, Henry W. Salkela; Co. C-Captain, Charles W. Smith; First Lieutenant, W. A. Todd; Second Lieutenant, W. H. Lewis; Co. D-Captain, George L. Rettmar; First Lieutenant, Sylvester E. Greth; Second Lieutenant, Joseph S. Williams; Co. E-Captain, Charles E. Wallen; First Lieutenant, Isaac J. Niel; Second Lieutenant, W. T. Simpson; Co. F-Captain, Charles Kochenberger; First Lieutenant, Richard Pear Smith; Second Lieutenant, Christian A. Schaffer; Co. G-Captain, Lewis Rierel; First Lieutenant, Thomas Hagan; Second Lieutenant, Peter Hagan; Co. H-Captain, Garet Malloy, Jr.; First Lieutenant, Alfred C. Hill; Second Lieutenant, William A. Harris; Co. I-Captain, William P. Tomlinson; First Lieutenant, F. O. Young; Second Lieutenant, Wm. H. Dull; Co. K-Captain, Enoch E. Lewis; First Lieutenant, P. J. Phillip; Second Lieutenant,

-N Y. Herald, June 29,

Doc. 51.

THE COMPROMISE PETITION

AT NEW YORK, JUNE 28. To his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States:

THE undersigned, citizens of New York, beg leave to present to you, most respectfully and earnestly, the following considerations:

While they hold themselves ready to sustain and defend their Government, and you as its legal head, they respectfully suggest that the only remaining honorable position for you to take to prevent the horrors of civil war and preserve the Union, is to adopt the policy of an immediate General Convention of all the States, as suggested in your Inaugural. This courso would secure a peaceful solution of our national difficulties, and if any State refused to join said Convention to amend the Constitution, or adjust a PEACEABLE SEPARATION, it would stand unanimously condemned before the civilized world.

Earnestly deprecating civil war among brethren, we IMPLORE AND BESEECH you to adopt this course, which you may rest assured is the real VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

GUION'S REMONSTRANCE.

MESSRS. EDITORS:-As an humble and peaceable citizen, desirous of preserving the Union in its integrity, and averting the horrors of civil war, and with the approval and encouragement of many of our best citizens, I deemed it my duty to circulate a petition to the President of the United States, in accordance with the suggestion in his inaugural address, calling a convention of all the States, to effect (if possible) a settlement of our national difficulties, without bloodshed. Many of our citizens, of acknowledged influence, had cheerfully affixed their names, and others were ready to do so. Being requested yesterday by Mr. James B. Taylor, of No. 48 Pine street, to call upon him at his of fice, as he particularly desired to see me, and concluding it was on business matter, I waited upon him, and was met by the inquiry, had I my petition with me? Replying in the affirm ative, he said he would like to look at it. Having two with me, I handed them both to him. After looking at them, and asking a gentleman in his office to sign it, who declined, he handed them to two persons in his front office, strangers to myself, and immediately retired into his back office, closing the door after him. Upon requesting those persons to hand me the petitions, they refused to do so, stating, at the same time, that they were detectives of the police, and had orders from Superintendent Kennedy to bring myself and the petitions to his office in Broome street, against which I protested, both to them and said James B. Taylor, that I had been dishonorably enticed into his office, and demanding the return of my papers, requesting at the same time to be allowed to go to my office to

Doo. 54.

THE BATTLE AT GREAT BETHEL.

THE attack on Great Bethel, it appears, was planned by the late Major Winthrop. The correspondent of the Boston Journal writes from Fortress Monroe:

This literal copy of a private memorandum made by Theodore Winthrop early on the day preceding the fight, and from which, with very trifling alteration of form, the official plan was (as I am informed) drawn up, is a sufficient answer to the whole. I violate no confidence in sending you these

NOTES OF THE PLAN OF ATTACK, By two detachments, upon Little Bethel and Big Bethel.

Big Bethel and similarly bag them. Burn both the Bethels, or blow up if brick.

To protect our rear, in case we take the fieldpieces and the enemy should march his main body (if he has any) to recover them, it would be well to have a squad of competent artillerists, regular or other, to handle the captured guns on the retirement of our main body. Also, to spike them if retaken.

Geo. Scott (colored guide) to have a shooting iron.

Perhaps Duryea's men would be awkward with a new arm in a night or early dawn attack, where there will be little marksman duty to perform. Most of the work will be done with the bayonet, and they are already handy with the old ones.

Duryea to push out two pickets at 10 P. M., one two and a half miles beyond Hampton, on the county road, but not so far as to alarm the enemy. This is important. Second picket half as far as the first. Both pickets to keep as much out of sight as possible. No one whatever to be allowed to pass out through their lines. Persons to be allowed to pass inward towards Hampton, unless it appear that they intend to go round about and dodge through to

the front.

At 12, midnight, Col. Duryea will march his regiment with fifteen rounds cartridges, on the county road toward Little Bethel. Scows will be provided to ferry them across Hampton Creek. March will be rapid, but not hurried.

A howitzer with canister and shrapnel to go. A wagon with planks and materials to repair the New Market bridge.

Duryea to have the 200 rifles, (Sharpe's rifles, purchased the day previous, are alluded to.) He will pick the men to whom to intrust them. Rocket to be thrown up from Newport News.

Notify Commodore Prendergast (flag-officer) of this, to prevent general alarm.

Newport News movement to be made somewhat later than this, as the distance is less. If we find and surprise them we will fire one volley, if desirable, not reload, and go ahead with the bayonet.

As the attack is to be by night, or dusk of morning, and in detachments, our people should have some token, say a white rag on the left

arm.

Perhaps the detachments which are to do the job should be smaller than a regiment: three hundred or five hundred on the right and left of the attack would be more easily handled.

If we bag the Little Bethel men push on to VOL. II.-Doc. 17

ed, in a letter written the day before the battle, as being stationed at Little Bethel. The purpose of the expedition was to caution the rebels to cease their predatory attacks upon our pickets. To accomplish this object it was proposed to surprise, and if possible to capture, the small force at Little Bethel. If that should be successfully accomplished, the battery at Big Bethel was to be reconnoitred, and if desirable it was to be attacked-but it was not to be attacked unless success was positively assured. This was the last instruction, as I happen to know, having been present at the time, given by Gen. Butler to Mr. Winthrop. "Be brave as you please," said the General, "but run no risk."

"Be bold! Be bold! But bo not too bold !

shall be our motto," responded Winthrop. And upon instructions, of which these are the substance, the two expeditions started. The object of a surprise was totally defeated by Colonel Bendix's blunder; yet in defiance of all the rules of war of which I have ever heard, they kept on; they destroyed the Little Bethel, and then, as it seems to me, somebody, entirely upon his own responsibility, decided to proceed to attack Big Bethel. But even this would seem to be scarcely improper. After reading the criticisms of various partisan newspapers, after hearing the stories of many persons who were engaged in the affair in one capacity and another, after hearing a detailed statement, reported by reliable authority, of a conversation with Colonel Bankhead Magruder, the commandant of the rebel forces, and after having had a personal interview with Captain Levy, of Louisiana-whose appearance had, without previous acquaintance, sufficiently assured me that he is a truth-telling gentleman, and who had excellent opportunities for understanding the whole affair, since he was present in the rebel battery during the entire skirmish, and his corps was at Yorktown, and as he is moreover a competent judge, having seen much ser

Doo. 55.

THE FIGHT AT MATTHIAS POINT.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE ACTION.

UNITED STATES STEAMER PAWNEE, POTOMAC RIVER, June 27, 1861. SIR:-About sundown the evening of the 26th instant, while at anchor off Acquia Creek, I received an order from Commander Ward (a copy of which is herewith enclosed) to send him two boats armed and equipped, in command of Lieutenant Chaplin. This order was immediately complied with in all its details, and the party left the ship in tow of the Resolute at 9 o'clock A. M. To-day, about noon, the Resolute returned, with a request from Captain

Ward that I should send her back if I had no more important service for her. I immediately despatched the Reliance to Captain Ward, knowing the danger to which our people would be exposed if he contemplated landing at Matthias Point, as I feared was his intention, judging from the nature of the order he gave me, to furnish him with such equipments as were necessary to cut down trees on the point and burn them.

At 9 o'clock this evening the Freeborn and Reliance came up, having been repulsed by the rebels at Matthias Point, in which Lieutenant Chaplin and his command escaped utter destruction by a miracle.

It becomes my painful duty to announce to the department the death of Commander J. H. Ward, of the Freeborn. He was shot in the abdomen while in the act of sighting his bow gun.

| I beg leave to call the attention of the department to the gallantry, coolness, and presence of mind of Lieutenant Chaplin, of the Pawnee, commanding the party on shore. He remained steady and cool among a perfect hail of musketry from hundreds of men, while he collected his own people, and made good his retreat without leaving the enemy a trophy beyond a few sand bags and some axes, and, so far as I can ascertain, the muskets of the wounded men. The last man left the shore with him; and not being able to swim to the boat with his musket, Lieutenant Chaplin took him on his shoulders, musket and all, and safely reached the boat without a scratch save a musket hole through the top of his cap.

In consequence of the want of ordinary comforts in the Freeborn for wounded men, brought the two wounded men belonging to that vessel, with those two of this ship, with the remains of the late Commander J. H. Ward, to the Navy Yard, Washington, where I now await orders.

I must also call the attention of the department to the bravery of John Williams, captain maintop of the Pawnee, who told his men, while laying off in the boat, that every man must die on his thwart sooner than leave a man behind, and when the flagstaff of his boat was shot away and the ensign fell, he (although suffering from a gun-shot wound in the thigh) seized it in his hand and bravely waved it over his head.

A copy of the surgeon's report of casualties is herewith enclosed. The wounded have been removed to the hospital. I also enclose copies of orders addressed to Lieutenant Lowry.

Lieutenant Chaplin's report of the affair is not yet ready. When it is presented I shall forward a copy for the information of the department.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. ROWAN, Camp and Senior Officer of the Potomac Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, Washington.

SURGEON'S REPORT.

UNITED STATES STEAM SLOOP PAWNEE, POTOMAO RIVER, June 27, 1861. SIR: I have to report the following casualties resulting from the action at Matthias Point this afternoon:

Killed 1.-Commander J. H. Ward, commanding flotilla; gunshot wound of abdomen, almost immediately fatal.

Wounded dangerously 2.-1. William J. Best, O. S., belonging to the Pawnee; gunshot wound, fracturing both bones of left leg; a second gunshot wound in soft part of right fore arm; a third gunshot wound of right hand. 2. William M. Chenny, belonging to the Thomas Freeborn; gunshot wound of the left thigh fracturing the femur.

Wounded severely 2.-1. John Williams, captain of maintop of Pawnee; gunshot wound of soft part of right thigh. 2. George McKenny,

:

Doo. 56.

THE BRIDGE BURNING.

The Mayor says:

"About 12 o'clock P. M., the Hon. E. Louis Lowe and Marshal George P. Kane called at my house, where Gov. Hicks was passing the night, and Marshal Kane informed me that a despatch had been received that other troops were to come to Baltimore over the Northern Central Railroad. There was also a report that troops were on their way, who, it was thought, might even then be at Perryville, on their route to Baltimore. Mr. Lowe, Marshal Kane, my brother, John Cumming Brown, and myself, went immediately to the chamber of Gov. Hicks and laid the matter before him. The point was pressed that if troops were suddenly to come to Baltimore with a determination to pass through, a terrible collision and bloodshed would take place, and the consequences to Baltimore would be fearful, and that the only way to avert the calamity was to destroy the bridges. To this the Governor replied, it seems to be necessary,' or words to that effect. He was then asked by me whether ho gave his consent to the destruction of the bridges, and he distinctly, although apparently with great reluctance, replied in the affirmative. I do not assert that I have given the precise language used by Gov. Hicks, but I am very clear that I have stated it with substantial correctness, and that his assent was unequivocal, and in answer to a question by ine which elicted a distinct affirmative reply."

Mr. J. Cumming Brown, the Mayor's brother, in his published certificate, says:

"When asked by my brother whether or not he gave his consent to the measure, the Gov

| ernor expressed a desire for time for reflection. Being reminded by those present of the lateness of the hour, and the necessity for prompt action, my brother again earnestly appealed to Governor Hicks, and asked him for his consent. Gov. Hicks' answer was, in substance, although I may not use his exact words, 'I see nothing else to be done.' 'But, sir,' said my brother, 'I cannot act without your consent; do you give it?' The Governor's reply was distinctly given in the affirmative."

George P. Kane, in his published certificate, says:

"The conversation resulted in the Governor's distinctly and unequivocally consenting, in response to the direct question put to him by the Mayor, that the bridges on the roads by which the troops were expected to come should be destroyed, as the only means of averting the consequences referred to, of their coming at that time."

E. Louis Lowe, in his certificate, says:

"Governor Hicks replied that it was a serious affair to undertake to destroy the bridges, and he expressed some doubt as to his authority to give such an order. It was urged, in reply, that it was a case of absolute self-preservation; that in three or four hours' time a large body of troops would probably be in the city, inflamed with passionate resentment against the people of Baltimore for the assault made on their comrades in the Pratt street encounter; and that, as the city was filled with hundreds of excited men, armed to the teeth, and determined to resist the passage of troops, a fearful slaughter must necessarily ensue, and the safety of the city itself be put in peril, unless, by the destruction of the bridges, time could be gained to avoid the difficulty by peaceable arrangement of some sort. Governor Hicks fully and most distinctly assented to this, and said, 'well, I suppose it must be done,' or words of precisely that import, to which the Mayor replied, substantially, Governor, I have no authority to act beyond the city limits, and can do nothing in this matter except by your direction; shall the bridges be destroyed?' Gov. Hicks emphatically and distinctly replied in the affirmative. It is absolutely impossible for any misapprehension to exist on this point."

This is the sum of the charges brought against me by Mayor Brown and his witnesses. It is due to the Mayor to say, unequivocally, that I do not believe he had any knowledge of the plot of which the destruction of the bridges was a part. I had little acquaintance with him at the time referred to, but I had formed a high estimate of his character as a faithful public servant, and as a high-toned gentleman; and I believe that the proceedings which he countenanced, and in which he seems to have been a participant, were inaugurated by others. His apparent complicity was only what might have attached to any other man in the trying and delicate and painful circumstances in which he found himself. The evil men who sur