McCLELLAN'S, June 22, 1862-7.25 p.m.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your dispatch of 4.30 p.m. to-day received. The guns referred to are rifled cannon, which General Charles F. James claims to have invented as perfectly adapted to his patent projectile. They are manufactured by Ames, of Chicopee, Mass.

A member of my staff, who is a good artillery officer, experimented with these guns and James' patent projectiles in December last, and pronounced them the best he had seen. They are highly recommended by other officers, and are said to have been the most efficient of all those used in the siege of Fort Pulaski. We have experienced much trouble with many of our new pattern projectiles, and my only object is to secure the best for the service. I have no recollection of having ever declined to recommend the purchase of these guns or projectiles, but I have, as I mentioned in my dispatch of to-day, a distinct remembrance of having recommended the purchase of them in January last, and that Mr. Cameron declined to make the purchase. General James informed me that he has the guns now ready, with projectiles. With these remarks I leave the matter in your hands.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

McCLELLAN'S, June 22, 1862.

Brigadier-General RIPLEY,

Chief of Ordnance:

I am directed by Major-General McClellan to reply to your dispatch of yesterday. The fuses most complained of are the paper-case timefuse, though in many instances the Bormann fuse does not give the satisfaction we ought to expect. The paper-case fuses of short time-say up to seven or eighth seconds-burn with proper regularity, but those of longer time are very uncertain; twelve seconds often burning no longer than five of six seconds, and fifteen or sixteen seconds frequently proving of shorter time than either. This happens so often that it has occurred to me that careless mistakes have been made in marking the time on the outside of the cases. The 20-pounder Parrott projectiles are again working very badly. In very many cases they fail to take grooves, and perform quite as uncertainly as they did at Washington last September-Captain Benton will remember. Can it be possible that the projectiles condemned at that time and turned into the arsenal are now accidentally reissued? Please let us have as much of Schenkl projectiles for our rifled guns of every description, siege as well as field, as possible. I will write by mail more at length to-day.

WILLIAM F. BARRY,

Brigadier-General, Chief of Artillery.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH PROVISIONAL ARMY CORPS,
Camp near New Bridge, Va., June 22, 1862.

Brigadier General P. ST. GEORGE COOKE,

Commanding Cavalry Reserve:

GENERAL: I am directed by the commanding general to inform you that it is reported by a deserter that another raid is in process of preparation