I have just received reliable information that no force of the enemy have passed through Snicker's Gap from Winchester; merely foraging parties.

There is probably a force of some 10,000 rebels on the road from Berryville to Snickersville, near the north bank of the Shenandoah.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

Major-General HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

Numbers 2. Report of Brigadier General John W. Geary, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, TWELFTH ARMY CORPS,
Loudoun Heights, Va., October 22, 1862.

COLONEL: About midnight of the 20th I received orders from Major-General Burnside to proceed on a tour of reconnaissance. I have the honor to furnish the major-general commanding with a copy of my report of the result of the same.

The orders for me to proceed on a tour of reconnaissance toward Lovettsville were received about 12.30 o'clock on the morning of the 21st. I have the honor to report that my column, consisting of portions of the First and Second Brigades and Knap's Pennsylvania battery, of this division, and about 300 of the Sixth New York Cavalry, ordered to report to me for the occasion, was put in motion about 2.30 o'clock. We proceeded the Hillsborough and Harper's Ferry turnpike, passing through Neersville to Hillsborough, at which place we expected to meet a considerable number of the enemy, as I learned, on our way there, that had been there on the evening previous; but on our arrival, I found that they had been hastily recalled to Snickersville, where they had returned during the night. Just beyond Hillsborough we captured several rebel cavalry scouts. I there learned that a portion of the enemy's cavalry was in the neighborhood of Morrisonville, where I sent about 200 infantry and 100 cavalry upon a road leading directly to it,and pushed forward rapidly with the main body to Wheatland, and extended my line eastwardly, toward Waterford, cutting off all communications upon the roads running south. The main body of the cavalry then proceeded toward Lovettsville, and fell in with a portion of White's cavalry battalion, under Captain R. B. Grubb, drawn up in line of battle, on the edge of wood, upon the Glenmore farm, about 1 1/2 miles north of Wheatland, and with sharpshooters on the tops of hay-stacks. The detachment of the cavalry remaining with me (about 200), led by Lieutenant-Colonel McVicar, impetuously charged upon the enemy, who resisted by our cavalry for several miles in a running fifth. The enemy finally scattered in all directions, and during their retreat closed several gates, to impede our pursuit. A few well-directed shells were thrown among them. Our loss was 1 killed and 2 wounded. That of the enemy, 2 known to be killed and 12 wounded, and, no doubt, others, who escaped, were also wounded. The list I furnish in Appendix A. Of prisoners we took