WAR DEPARTMENT,

April 24, 1862.

General ROSECRANS, Harper's Ferry:

Your dispatch received. Measures will be taken to replace the bridges without delay. What orders has General Fremont given in respect to Blenker's division and what do you propose to do?

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

April 25, 1862.

Major-General BANKS:

Your operations are regarded with much interest, and every one is pleased with the activity and cautions vigor of your command. I send you a copy of a dispatch from General Fremont, who proposes to co-operate with you.* We take it for granted that your column is not pushed too far in advance of your support, so as to receive a surprise or sudden blow. There is no news of importance from other departments. You shall be promptly advised of all movements, and I hope to hear from you daily.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK,
Aquia, April 26, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

I received, by the hands of Messr. Stone and Haupt, your letters relating to them respectively, and have had with each and both satisfactory conferences as to what is required for the line of the railroad from this place. They left here this morning for the purpose of seeing you in relation to it.

We have commenced relaying the rails at this end, and everything is being driven to the full capacity of the means at hand of the purpose.

The telegraph which was in operation this morning has since broken down. Twenty canal-boats and a steam ferry-boat arrived yesterday at Fredericksburg without molestation.

It is reported by General King that numerous complaints reach him from Union men in Fredericksburg of outrages received at the hands of secessionists; that small cavalry pickets come into the town at night harassing Union men and carrying them off South for no other reason than fidelity to the Union. They ask for protection.

Will it meet with the sanction of the President that I should throw not to exceed a battalion of infantry and a small force of cavalry into the town, protected by the artillery on this side, for the purpose of affording protection and saving the supplies.

A party sent out on a boat from the First New Jersey Cavalry (Colonel Wyndham) surprised at 2 o'clock yesterday morning on the other side of the Rappahannock a cavalry picket of the enemy, killing 1, mortally wounding another, and taking 5 prisoners. No loss on our side.

As the wharf at this place is not now and cannot be for some time

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* See Part I, p. 7.

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