mill and called out to our pickets that if they did not fire his pickets would not. No reply was returned.

The Port Royal received no orders to-day about firing at Malvern.

I have posted guards at Haxall's and Royall's.

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

A. PLEASONTON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

The boats that crossed the river last night were contrabands, that have gone in to Harrison's Landing.

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

Camp near Harrison's Landing, Va., August 12, 1862.

Corps and other independent commanders will have loaded up at once six days' rations of all the components except meat, which will be for four days'-bacon or salt pork.

Four days' short forage for wagon animals will be carried in each wagon. Four days' short forage for the cavalry and artillery horses will also be taken.

When the march commences all the men must have two days' rations in their haversacks.

Each man will have his cartridge box filled, and 60 rounds additional will be carried in the wagons.

The artillery ammunition will be limited to that which can be carried in the limber boxes and caissons.

The wagons will not be loaded with over 1,800 pounds, including forage.

As soon as the wagons are loaded commanders will report to headquarters what number they have disposable.

A reasonable amount of axes, spades, and picks will be carried in the division trains.

These arrangements will be made this day.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

[S. WILLIAMS,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH ARMY CORPS, Fort Monroe, Va., August 13, 1862.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Commanding Department of Virginia:

GENERAL: I deem it my duty to call your attention to the condition of my command. The force at this post is so much reduced that it is impossible to perform the guard and police duty required. We have only about 300 men for duty. The Fifth Maryland, the only regiment at Camp Hamilton, is now doing guard duty every other day, and I have a statement from the surgeon that the sickness of the troops is augmented by this severe service.

The term of service of three of my regiments expires during the present month. Two of them are at Suffolk, and the third is divided between Yorktown, Fort Wool, and the hospital at Point Lookout.

A reference to my monthly report forwarded to-day will show the