GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEFENSES OF WASHINGTON,

No. 11. December 6, 1862.

I. Pursuant to instruction from the commanding general, the District of the Defenses of Washington south of the Potomac will be discontinued. All the reports and returns now required will be forwarded to these headquarters.

II. The following-named officers will be transferred to these headquarters for duty, in addition to the present staff, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly: Lieutenant Colonel Solon H. Lathrop, assistant inspector-general; Lieutenant Colonel Elias M. Greene, chief quartermaster; Captain Joshua Norton, assistant quartermaster; Lieutenant Colonel Samuel McKelvy, commissary of subsistence; Major Leavitt Hunt, aide-de-camp; Captain Granville E. Johnson, aide-de-camp; Captain Henry Norton, aide-de-camp; Captain E. C. Sturges, commander of ambulance corps, and Lieutenant E. P. Deacon, volunteer aide.

III. Brigadier General J. J. Abercrombie may transfer his headquarters to the Arlington house.

By command of Major-General Heintzelman:

C. H. POTTER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CUMBERLAND, December 6, 1862-3 p.m.

Major G. M. BASCOM,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have just received information, from a source I deem reliable, that Winchester was occupied by our troops on Thursday evening. General Milroy sent one of his brigades to Petersburg, in Hardy County, to-day. We will have the telegraph line repaired soon, so you can communicate with his force at that point. Weather very cold. We are repairing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Will have the road in working order in ten days.

B. F. KELLEY,

Brigadier-General.

U. S. STEAMER ANACOSTIA,

Oaken Brow, December 7, 1862.

AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General, Commanding:

DEAR GENERAL: Two nights more like the last may freeze us in. Our store-ship, the Wyandank, is ashore about 6 miles below. Four steamers are there to assist in discharging and getting her off. I except some field pieces will be brought down in that vicinity in the morning by the enemy, as there has been considerable signal work among them. I am expecting to hear from you to-day or to-morrow.

Respectfully, &c.,

SAMUEL MAGAW,

Lieutenant-Commander.

U. S STEAMER ELLA,

Aquia Creek, December 7, 1862.

Major General J. G. PARKE,

Chief of Staff, &c.:

GENERAL: I arrived here early this morning, on my way to visit the different vessels now in the Potomac, and make some arrangements