BEVERLY, July 17 [1861].

Lieutenant General WINFIELD SCOTT:

Will a movement of mine on Staunton facilitate your plans?l If so, I can probably take that position. I do not know your plans of operation, but can move on Staunton if you desire.

Please reply at once.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, July 18, 1861.

General McCLELLAN,
Beverly, Va.:

Your suggestions in respect to Staunton would be admirable, like your other conceptions and acts, with support. McDowell yesterday drove the enemy beyond Fairfax Court-House. He will attack the entrenched camp at the Manassas Junction to-day. Beaten there, the enemy may retreat both upon Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley, where Patterson is doing nothing. He will lose eighteen regiments by discharges in about a week. I may re-enforce him in that time sufficiently to enable you, with him, to bag Johnston in that valley if the latter has not been permitted to send his principal force to Beauragard. If you come to Staunton, and McDowell's victory at the Junction be complete, he may, with Patterson, give you a hand about Winchester. I will telegraph you again to-day.

WINFIELD SCOTT.

WAR DEPARTMENT, July 18, 1861.

Governor CURTIN,

Harrisburg, Pa.:

The Pennsylvania troops were expected to have joined the forces going into battle this week. I trust there will be no delay to prevent them sharing the honors of the expected battles this week. Hasten them forward.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEP'T NORTHEASTERN VIRGINIA,

Numbers 18.
Fairfax Court-House, July 18, 1861.

It is with the deepest mortification the general commanding finds it necessary to reiterate his orders for the preservation of the property of the inhabitant of the district occupied by the troops under his command.

Hardly had we arrived at this place when, to the horror of every right-minded person, several houses were broken open and others were in flames by the act of some of those who, it has been the boast of the loyal, came here to protect the oppressed and free the country from the domination of a hated party.

The property of this people is at the mercy of troops who we right-fully say are the most intelligent, best-educated, and most law-abiding of any that were ever under arms. But do not, therefore, the acts of yesterday cast the deeper stain upon them?

It has been claimed by some that their particular corps were not