WASHINGTON, August 2, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State:

SIR: This Department has this day authorized Major General J. C. Fremont to give the necessary instructions for forwarding the arms imported by him to his department, as requested in his telegram to you of the 29th ultimo.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS A. SCOTT,

Acting Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THEE WEST,
Bird's Point, August 2, 1861.

Lieutenant-General SCOTT:

GENERAL: Thank you for the batteries. I reached this place with eight transports to-day.

Eleven thousand men, of which 2,000 are cavalry, well appointed, under Pillow, at New Madrid yesterday; further re-enforced to-day; 5, 0000 men badly armed, under Thompson, at Charleston, 18 miles from this point; 7,000 well armed men, of which 2,000 are cavalry, under Hardee, about 70 miles from Ironton. Force large in front of General Lyon; strength not positively known. Missouri generally insurrectional. I have re-enforced our posts at Ironton and Rolla, and hold the railroads between these points and Saint Louis. Movements on the part of the enemy indicate general and well-conducted attack, and we are just in time. My severest need is want of arms. Will you take into consideration that the exigency requires me to move with the greatest rapidity and silence.

J. C. FREMONT,

Major-General, Commanding.

ORDERS, HDQRS. DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI, Numbers 3.
Mexico, August 2, 1861.

In accordance with Special [General] Orders, Numbers 3, of July 31, 1861, the following movements of troops will immediately be made:

Brigadier-General Hurlbut, with such force as he may consider necessary, upon New London, Palmyra, Shelbyville, Bloomington, Linneus, Chillicothe, Gallatin, Kingston, Maysville, Plattsburg, and Saint Joseph. Colonel T. A. Marshall, with two companies of cavalry and one piece of artillery, upon Paris; Captain McNulta, with one company of cavalry, upon Bowling Green and Danville, and Captain Peck, Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, upon Troy and Warrenton. The commanding officer of the Fourteenth Illinois Volunteers, with the four companies of his regiment at Renick, upon Huntsville and Fayette, first removing regimental baggage and stores to Renick, where the regiment will be concentrated at the expiration of this special service.

The commanding officers respectively will carefully examine the instructions contained in Special [General] Orders, Numbers 3, herewith inclosed, which they will distribute at the various settlements along the march.

They will assemble at each county seat here specified the most respectable citizens of the town and neighborhood, and will read and carefully explain to them the provisions and requirements of the special order.