several persons whose conduct was marked: Captain Ross, Captain Bean, Lieutenant Oliver, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers: Colonel Burnham, Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler, Major Harris and First Lieutenant J. D. McFarland, adjutant, Sixth Maine Volunteers. The latter, on horseback, took a prisoner within 150 paces of the enemy's battery, chasing him on horseback to that point in a direct range of the enemy's infantry and artillery, and in unobstructed view of the fort mounting one gun, which was afterward discharged at our troops. The parapet was lined with infantry and the gunners were at their posts. The officer was not fired at probably because he kept the prisoner between the fort and himself. This officer reports that the water is 5 or 6 rods in breadth. He had a perfectly unobstructed view of it. In approaching this work he leaped his horse over a rifle pit, not of recent construction, which was on this side of the river. It was a little above the fort and nearly at right angles with the stream. Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler and this adjutant captured three other prisoners. The first prisoner taken was a signal man, placed behind some chimneys at 400 yards distance from the battery; the other three were of a party of five scouts of the enemy. Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler commanded the skirmishers at this point. A number of the enemy were killed at different points where out skirmishers came in contact with them.

It is but just to speak of the handsome manner in which Lieutenant Merrill and Lieutenant Bowen, the engineers, made their observations under the enemy's fired and in short range of their guns.

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

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Captain L. D. H. CURRIE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Smith's Division.

[Indorsements.]

HEADQUARTERS NEAR FOUR CORNERS,
April 10, 1862.

Respectfully forwarded. The attention of the brigadier-general commanding the Fourth Army Corps is called to the handsome and thorough manner in which Brigadier-General Hancock, commanding the reconnaissance, conducted it.

WM. F. SMITH,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

DEAR GENERAL: I sent you, entirely unofficially, a copy of General Hancock's report, thinking the information may be immediately useful, and not knowing when you may get it regularly. I think the road from Yorktown to Lee's Mill should be guarded at the point where it leaves the road to Warwick. The road also leading to your camp from here should be guarded, and I would respectfully suggest that if the brigade of Sedgwick, now in front, is not sufficient for both, another one be ordered up. I have ordered my artillery horses to begin to pack forage remaining at Ship Point for a feed. We cannot use them to any extent here, and I have ordered the caisson horses for that purpose.

Yours, as ever,

WM. F. SMITH.

General McCLELLAN.