and missing. General Early had moved to Strasburg to concentrate his troops and protect his train. The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps were moving back through Leesburg to Alexandria.

R. E. LEE.

HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT,
July 23, 1864.

Major General JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE,

Commanding Corps, &c.:

GENERAL: The lieutenant-general commanding directs me to call your attention to the fact that your last "field return" shows a falling off of 2,462 in the number of men reported present for duty. He wishes you to send in at once a statement showing how you account for this diminution, including your losses in killed, wounded, and missing, that there may be some means of estimating the number of men who are in the rear without authority.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. S. PENDLETON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

Major JOHNSTON:

See if the officer requires written statements and have full reports this evening from the whole command. The mounting of Vaughn and Jackson will account for a part, but still the number lost is large. Many convalescents, too, have come in. Order two days' rations of bread and one of beef of commissary to-morrow, to be cooked and troops ready to move at daylight.

J. C. B.

HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT,
July 25, 1864.

Major-General BRECKINRIDGE,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: Lieutenant-General Early directs that you have your troops ready to move at 3 p. m. to-day to Bunker Hill. Do not move without further orders, but be ready, with cooked rations, to move promptly at the hour designated. The order of march will be: First, Rodes' division; second, Braxton's battalion artillery; third, Breckinridge's command; fourth, Nelson's battalion artillery; fifth Ramseur's division. The ambulances and ordnance wagons move with the troops. All other wagons follow in rear of all the troops, in the order of their respective commands. Please report immediately how much flour you have on hand.

Respectfully, &c.,

A. S. PENDLETON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

JULY 25, 1864--3. 45 p. m.

Major JOHNSTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Put the troops in motion at once, under the order of march received to-day, toward Martinsburg. Gordon in front, then King's battalion,