River, also the counties of Dauphin, Lancaster, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Bucks will comprise the Brandy-wine District, headquarters at Harrisburg, Pa.

By command of Major-General Couch:

JNO. S. SCHULTZE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE SUSQUEHANNA, Numbers 176.
Harrisburg, Pa., July 31, 1864.

1. Major General George Cadwalader, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby assigned to the command of the Brandywine District, headquarters at Harrisburg.

2. Captain C. N. Turnbull, corps of engineers, U. S. Army, having reported in person to these headquarters, in accordance with paragraph 51, Special Orders, Numbers 251, War Department, dated July 27, 1864, is hereby assigned to duty as chief engineer of this department.

3. Headquarters Department of the Susquehanna are hereby removed from Chambersburg to Harrisburg, Pa.

4. Captain Thomas H. Bates, Company A, First Regiment New York Artillery, will proceed without delay by railroad with his command to Altoona, Pa. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation.

By command of Major-General Couch:

JNO. S. SCHULTZE,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

GETTYSBURG, July 31, 1864-3 p. m.

Major General D. N. COUCH and

Governor A. G. CURTIN:

Our scouts, Dr. Taylor and William H. Crawford, reached Chambersburg after 6 p. m. evening of 30th. Left there at 8. 30 p. m., and just returned. Report 600 mounted rebels, under General McCausland, having entered Chambersburg 6 a. m. yesterday, Saturday [30th], made a demand on the town for $600,000, $100,000 in gold and balance in Government notes, and accompanied it with threat to burn the town if not complied with within three hours. The rebels immediately began to plunder, and within an hour, before 8 a. m., applied the torch, commencing with town hall, Franklin House, and the private houses until they had fired the whole central portion of town, embracing twenty squares, extending from railroad depot on north to German Reformed Church on Washington street on south, fire squares, and from where Franklin railroad crosses Market street on east to King street on west, four squares, wholly destroying also dwellings and factories elsewhere. All the hotels and boarding-houses are destroyed, Wonderlich and Steed's warehouse, and all the public buildings, except pubic school, jail, and railroad depot. Rebels left Chambersburg at 1 p. m., going north, taking McCausland with them drunk. Averell's force was within eight miles, between Greencastle and Fayetteville, during Friday [29th] night and Saturday, and did not enter Chambersburg until 3 p. m. Hunter's forces, reported at 3,000, passed trough Chambersburg northward on Friday night. Averell overtook rebels at Back Creek, near old cavalry camp, four miles north, fighting