in future, and they will be required to bring to a summary punishment every officer or soldier who violates this order.

To avoid the accidental discharge of fire-arms caps will not be allowed upon the cones until they are required for immediate use against the enemy, and as soon as the occasion no longer exists they will be removed and placed in their cap boxes.

Company inspections will be made every evening, when the arms and cartridge boxes of every man will be examined by the company commanders, and if any caps are found upon the cones or if the proper number of cartridges are not in the boxes the delinquents will be placed in confinement and punished.

All commanders are expected to enforce the requirements of this order, and they will be held responsible that its provisions are faithfully complied with.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, April 9, 1862-9 p.m.

LORENZO THOMAS,
Adjutant-General:

Weather still execrable; country covered with water; roads terrible. It is with the utmost difficulty that I can supply the troops. We are doing an immense deal of work on the roads. Cannot land siege train until the wind moderates. Reconnaissances being pushed and points of attack pretty well determined. Rebels have thrown 10 and 12 inch shells yesterday and to-day without effect. I have now placed all the troops in bivouac just out of shell range, holding all our advanced positions with strong detachments well sheltered. I shall not lose an hour in placing our heavy guns in batteries, and will assault at the earliest practicable moment. The feeling of the troops is excellent.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, April 9, 1862.

General E. D. KEYES,
Commanding Fourth Army Corps:

GENERAL: In answer to your communication of yesterday I am directed to say that there was a slight misunderstanding regarding the disposition he desired to be made of your corps. He wished General Smith's division to be withdrawn somewhat to the rear and right, so as to occupy a position along in rear of the Yorktown and Warwick Court-House road, extending as far to the right as the Cross-Roads or Four Corners, and he desires General Davidson's brigade also brought back upon the same line, leaving sufficient picket guards to watch the enemy closely and to protect the main body from a surprise.

General Smith now occupies the Yorktown road beyond the Four Corners, but the general wishes him to remain there until he can (probably to-morrow) send a brigade from Sedgwick's division to fill the gap.