Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

The quartermaster's department has been instructed to furnish the necessary vehicles, casks, and draft animals. The war garrison of Fortress Monroe, against a formidable army provided with an adequate siege train, is about twenty-five hundred men. You will soon have there, inside and out, near three times that many. Assuming fifteen hundred as a garrison adequate to resist any probable attack in the next six months, or, at least, for many days or weeks, you will consider the remainder of the force under your command as disposable for aggressive purposes and employ it accordingly.

In respect to more distant operations, you may expect specific instruction at a later date. In the meantime I will direct your attention to the following objects: 1st, Not to let the enemy erect batteries to annoy Fortress Monroe; 2d, To capture any batteries the enemy may have within a half day's march of you, and which may be reached by land; 3d, The same in respect to the enemy's batteries at or about Craney Island, though requiring water craft; and 4th, To menace and recapture the navy-yard at Gosport, in order to complete its destruction, with its contents, except what it may be practical to bring away in safety.

These instructions effectually precluded anything like reaching the enemy, as Norfolk, thirteen miles away, could be approached only by water. The entrance to the port of Norfolk through Elizabeth River was well covered by forts and batteries.

Meanwhile, before the New York regiments arrived, myself and staff proceeded to inspect the “pine forest.” It was about two miles from the fort, on a narrow strip of land next to the beach, and between the sea and Miller's River, and could not possibly have been made a camp-ground for two thousand men. It was a part of the land ceded by Virginia to the United States. Upon inspection, I saw an objection to it as a camp-ground, which I chose to respect. The pine grove had been used as the burying-ground of the garrison. All of the soldiers and others who had died there for more than half a century were buried there, and it was thickly dotted with their graves.

In order to try the temper of my soldiers, I had the rumor circulated among them that the commanding-general thought of encamping the volunteers in the graveyard of the fort. Respectful protests to any such action came at once as thick as the leaves of