The loss upon our side has been considerable. Major-General Hancock and Brigadier-General Gibbon were wounded. After the repelling of the assault, indications leading to the belief that the enemy might be withdrawing, an armed reconnaissance was pushed forward from the left, and the enemy found to be in force. At the present hour all is quiet. My cavalry have been engaged all day on both flanks of the enemy, harassing and vigorously attacking him with great success, notwithstanding they encountered superior numbers, both of cavalry and infantry. The army is in fine spirits.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

NEAR GETTYSBURG, PA., July 3, 1863.

(Received July 4, 4. 10 a. m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

General-in-Chief:

The following dispatches have been intercepted by our scouts.

DANL. BUTTERFIELD,

Major-General, chief of Staff.

[Inclosure Numbers l.]

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Richmond, Va., June 29, 1863.

General R. E. LEE,

Comdg. Army Northern Virginia, Winchester, Va.

GENERAL: While with the President last night, I received your letter of the 23rd instant. After reading it, the President was embarrassed to understand that part of it which refers to the plan of assembling an army at Culpeper court-House under General Beauregard. This is the first intimation that he has had that such a plan was ever in contemplation, and, taking all things into consideration, he cannot see how it can by any possibility be carried into effect. You will doubtless learn before this reaches you that the enemy has again assembled in force on the Peninsula, estimated between 20, 000 and 30, 000 men, from 6, 000 to 10, 000 of whom are reported to be in the vicinity of White House and the remainder at Yorktown. It is impossible to say whether the estimated number is correct, as the several accounts vary and are not deemed altogether reliable; but the estimate, making due allowance for errors, is quite near enough to satisfy the most incredulous that the enemy is in this vicinity in sufficient force in cavalry, artillery, and infantry to do much harm, whether his purpose be to make a demonstration on Richmond or to confine himself to raids in breaking your communications and devastating the country. His efforts in the last case may prove more successful than in the first, if we may judge by what took place at Hanover only two days ago, when about 1, 000 or 1, 200 of his cavalry suddenly appeared there, and did some execution in breaking the railroad and burning a bridge, some buildings, public stores, &c. It was unfortunate that this raid took place only about two days after General Corse's brigade had left there for Gordonsville. Had it remained at Hanover Junction, it is reasonable to suppose that most of the enemy's cavalry would have been either destroyed or captured and the property saved from injury. Every effort is being made here to be prepared for the enemy at all points, but we must look chiefly to the protection of the capital. In doing this, we may be obliged to hazard something at