[Copy furnished War Department by Secretary of State May 14, 1862.]

HDQRS. CENTRAL, SANTA FE, AND NORTH. MIL. DIST., Department of New Mexico, Santa Fe, April 22, 1862.

Brigadier General LORENZO THOMAS,
Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report myself in command of the Central, Santa Fe, and Northern Military Districts, Department of New Mexico,and that I have re-established and garrisoned the posts at Albuquerque and at this place, recently occupied by Confederate troops of General Sibley's brigade.

It will gratify you to know that the Texan troops are in retreat out of the country, having been compelled by our operations to abandon most of their supplies of all kinds, and to take the mountain route behind the Socorro Range, to avoid the capture of the small remaining force of the 3,000 troops that invaded the Territory.

They have abandoned their sick and wounded everywhere on their line of retreat, and are leaving the country in a state of demoralization and suffering that has few examples in any war. The long line of their retreat over Jornada and wastes of country without water, and that furnish no supplies, will render their march extremely difficult, and aggravate the ordinary suffering of a disorganized army under defeat. The broken-down condition of all our animals, the want of cavalry, and deficiencies in all our supplies will make a successful pursuit equally impracticable, if not impossible.

My report of the operations of my division in the field from the 1st to the 16th instant will reach you in time through the proper channel. I effected a junction with Colonel Paul's command at San Antonio on the 13th, after a demonstration of Albuquerque and artillery combats there on the 8th and sharp skirmishing on the 8th and 9th. The last engagement was at Peralta, on the 15th; that drove the main Confederate forces from that position and put their army in utter rout.

We have great numbers of their prisoners, but I am unable to give the figures with accuracy,and some 60 wagons of their supply train and two pieces of artillery have fallen into our hands.

Colonel Canby in on the pursuit with both the Northern and Southern Divisions of the Army, and this information is communicated to you indirectly, because it will be many days before his official reports can be made.

According to the most reliable information, General Sibley has not left 1,200 men of the army of 3,000 that appeared before Fort Craig on the 13th of February, and his retreat is the complete annihilation of his remaining forces.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. S. ROBERTS,

Colonel, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF NEW MEXICO, No. 34.
Fort Craig, N. Mex., April 23, 1862.

I. Colonel G. R. Paul, Fourth New Mexico Volunteers, is assigned to the command of the field force operating in this neighborhood. The cavalry