FORT MONROE, August 17, 1862-1 p.m. [Received 4.45 p.m]

Hon. E. M. STANTON:

Your dispatch is received. I will come to Washington as soon as possible. I am now occupied with very important duties. General Kearny's division is near Williamsburg. Porter is expected at Hampton to-night.

Everything is moving successfully.

JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

FORT MONROE, August 18, 1862.

Hon. P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Secretary of War:

The ordnance officer here patched up some 2,800 arms of various calibers for the exchanged prisoners and sent them to General McClellan, but the importance of this post is such that there ought to be from 5,000 to 10,000 stand of arms always on hand in good order and ready for issue. The principal object of my dispatch of the 7th instant was to make this suggestion.

JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

FORT MONROE, August 20, 1862-9 a.m.

Major General E. D. KEYES,

Commanding Fourth Corps, Yorktown, Va.:

Your corps is to halt at Yorktown until further orders. If you have passed beyond the vicinity of that place when this reaches you, you will at once return to Yorktown and there await further orders, which may not reach you for some days.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, August 20, 1862.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: I have just received yours of the 17th by General Burnside.

You can scarcely imagine the pressure on me for the last two weeks and the anxiety I have had in regard to your movements. When I felt that the safety of Washington depended on the prompt and rapid transfer of your army it is very probable that my messages to you were more urgent and pressing than guarded in their language. I certainly meant nothing harsh, but I did feel that you did not act as promptly as I thought the circumstances required. I deemed every hour a golden one, the loss of which could not be repaired. I deemed every hour a golden one, the loss of which could not be repaired. I think you did not attach so much value to the passing hours; but perhaps I was mistaken. I know that there are several little matters which have annoyed you; they could not be avoided.

You asked a private telegraphic cipher. It could not be given, as