HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, July 20, 1861-1.30 a. m.

Brigadier-General McDOWELL,
&c., Centreville:

Your dispatch received at 1.5 a. m.* It is now 1.30 a. m.

Hunt's battery left here at 5 a. m. yesterday by Fairfax road. We have but forty recruits; orders have been given to send them forward. It will be some time before they reach you, as there is no officer to spare to send with them.

By command of General Scott:

SCHUYLER HAMILTON,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Military Secretary.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, July 20, 1861.

General MANSFIELD,
Commanding, &c.:

Telegraphic communication only open to Fairfax.

You will please therefore take measures to carry out instructions of General-in-Chief to send forward recruits early in the morning. I suppose you can send the recruits part of the way by rail. Cars now run to within 2 1\1 miles of Fairfax Station. Trains leave Alexandria at 6 and 9 a. m.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SCHUYLER HAMILTON,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Military Secretary.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, July 21, 1861.

Brigadier-General McDOWELL,
Commanding, &c.:

It is known that a strong re-enforcement left Winchester on the afternoon of the 18th, which you will also have to beat. Four new regiments will leave to-day to be at Fairfax Station to-night. Others shall follow to-morrow; twice the number, if necessary.

WINFIELD SCOTT.

JULY 21, 1861.

Major-General McCLELLAN,

U. S. A., Beverly, Va.:

I sympathize with you on the subject of Cox. You will soon redeem blunders, and so will McDowell is this forenoon forcing the passage of Bull Run. In two hours he will turn the Manassas Junction and storm it to-day with superior force.

WINFIELD SCOTT.

CENTREVILLE, [July] 21, 1861.

Colonel TOWSEND:

Captain Fry writes to me to say, "Telegraph to Washington: Send on immediately all the troops that can be spared." Colonel Hunter has just arrived, badly wounded.

D. S. MILES,

Colonel.

---------------

*See p. 307.

---------------