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

On the 29th of April, when he sent for me, he had sketched to me the following plan of attack on Baltimore:--

I suppose that a column from Washington of three thousand men, another from York of three thousand men, and a third from Perryville or Elkton, by land or water, or both, of three thousand men, and a fourth from Annapolis of three thousand men might suffice. But it may be, and many persons think it probable, that Baltimore, before we can get ready, will voluntarily re-open the communication through that city, and beyond, each way, for troops, army supplies, and travellers. When can we be ready for the movement on Baltimore on this side? Colonel Mansfield has satisfied me that we want at least ten thousand additional troops here to give security to the capital; and, as yet, we have less than ten thousand, including some very indifferent militia from the District. With that addition, we will be able, I think, to make the detachment for Baltimore. When can we be ready? Mansfield has satisfied me that we want at least ten thousand additional troops to give security to the capital.

Now, I had learned, and so I supposed had Scott, that Lee, having taken command of the Army of Northern Virginia on the 23d, had, by general order of that date, ordered his forces at Alexandria and along the Potomac to act on the defensive, and to go into camps of instruction and collect men and provisions; and what Mansfield wanted with ten thousand more troops to assure the safety of the capital for the immediate future, I could not conceive. I felt thoroughly satisfied that the only thing that could have prompted the waiting for this movement was to give time for Davis, who had ordered troops to gather at Harper's Ferry to defend Baltimore, so that then there might be a grand flourish. And with my usual folly in bowing down to “Fuss and Feathers,” I made some suggestions in that direction, shaped so as not to offend my chief, with whom I desired to remain on good terms.

The plan of this meeting of twelve thousand troops in Baltimore went the round of military circles. To get some more troops to secure Washington, a movement was made on the 9th from Elkton to bring in from Perryville and elsewhere quite a large number of men. The plan was to land them at Locust Point, below Baltimore, under the cover of the guns of the navy, and march them