[CHAP. XLI.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE SUSQUEHANNA, Numbers 13.
September 5, 1863.

Captain Alexander N. Shipley, assistant quartermaster, U. S. Army, having reported to the major-general commanding the department, in accordance with Paragraph 22, Special Orders, War Department, August 27, 1863, is hereby assigned to duty as acting chief quartermaster of this department, vice Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, additional aide-de-camp and assistant quartermaster, resigned. He will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

By command of Major General D. N. Couch:

JNO. S. SCHULTZE,

Major, and Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, September 6, 1863-12. 30 p. m.

Major-General MEADE, Army of the Potomac:

General Rosecrans seems apprehensive that re-enforcements to Bragg have been sent from Lee's army to East Tennessee by Lynchburg. Employ every possible means to ascertain if this be so. If Lee has sent any troops to Tennessee, I must re-enforce Burnside.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, September 6, 1863.

(Received 3 p. m.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

No movement of troops from Lee's army has been reported by scouts or deserters, except that yesterday a deserter said, on his recent trip from Richmond, he had met Cooke's brigade at Hanover Junction, marching, it is said, to Richmond. This brigade has always been stationed in the vicinity of Richmond, and was sent to Fredericksburg when Lee first fell back to the Rapidan.

Some days since, scouts reported McLaws' division, of Longstreet's corps, having moved to Walter's Tavern, about 10 miles north of Frederick's Hall Station, on the Gordonsville railroad. The object of this movement was said to be for the convenience of supplies, but it may have been to cover their withdrawal, though this fact has not been reported.

I think if any movement except Cooke's had taken place, I should have been advised, though it is very difficult to obtain reliable information. The movement of Cooke I considered due to General Foster's operations on the Peninsula. I will endeavor to get scouts across the lines.

GEO. G. MEADE,
Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

September 6, 1863-4 p. m. (Received 5 p. m.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

Wesley Norris, a free negro, came into our lines from Culpeper yesterday about sunset. He states he was formerly the property of George Washington Custis, who died at Arlington, Va., about six