premises, one or two carried off, and a sergeant in charge of one of the trains from the Eighty-third Pennsylvania was shot dead on board a schooner that had slipped her fastenings, and fortunately floated out of reach of more destructive damage. At daylight I proceeded to the burning pile by the road, riding near 7 miles, although it was not distant more than 2 miles in a direct line from the bivouac. The major was ordered to camp with the three com- l)anies. On his arrival lie received an order from headquarters to re- port to Colonel Rush. The party then followed the trail of Lees guer- rillas to Jones Bridge, called also Charles City Bridge, where the enemy had just before crossed the Chickahominy, and from the best information I can achieve the rebel force is still at Charles City, within 1 mile of the Chickahominy, near Jones Bridge, 3~- miles above the steamboat landing at Window Shades, and 4 miles below Long Bridge. Four contrabands escaped from the vicinity of the rebel camp yester- day afternoon, and informed my scouts at Cumberland the enemy in- tended attacking Cumberland that (last) night, to destroy the Govern- ment property there. I sent a company at 9.30 oclock from camp to warn the gunboats and shipmasters and to patrol toward Baltimore Cross-Roads and advance their pickets to New Kent Courf-House. They will be relieved in a few hours. I have a permanent picket of 20 men, under a lieutenant, at Garlicks, which is decidedly a dangerous station, liable at any moment to attack by cavalry, who can and do swim the river from King William County anywhere between Hanover Ferry and Garlicks Mill. The guard report from that station for last night states that 6 or 8 mounted men unsuccessfully attempted a sur- prise. The forage remaining after the fire has been nearly all deliv- ered to trains belonging to the advance and receipts taken for it by the lieutenant of my guard. The station (Garlicks Landing) should either be abandoned or strengthened, as the general commanding may see proper. Lee and Stuart make no secret of their design to retrace their steps at their own convenience. I send you the report of the scouting south on the 13th, accidentally omitted. It has been acted on. I regret to learn that Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls omitted forwarding to your head- quarters my reports as they were handed in to him. Last evening Lieutenant-Colonel Ingalls showed me the reports indorsed by himself, which he informed me he was then about to forward by express. For this reason I have forwarded this report direct. I will send a confi - dential messenger into the rebel camp this afternoon and report the result to-morrow. All quiet now. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSIAH HARLAN, Colonel, Commanding Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry. General S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac. No. 20. Raport of Capt. B. B. Mitchell, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, of opera tions in the vicinity of Charles City Bridge, or Jones Bridge, June 12. CAMP, WHITE HOUSE, June 13, 1862. COLONEL: Pursuant to a special order of the 12th instant I left camp at 6.30 oclock and proceeded in the direction of Charles City