force there. Those troops that he saw were scantily clothed and fed, and the talk among the impressed men was that they would desert on the first opportunity. While lying in the woods last Thursday he saw two long trains of cars filled with troops moving this way, and heard as he came along that it was a body of 10,000 men coming from Yorktown to Guiney's, a stantion on the railroad, 12 miles south of Fredericksburg, or Milford, 4 or 5 miles farther south. These were the only troops that he could hear of between Fredericksburg and Richmond. At Richmond he learned that the entire force guarding the city did not exceed 4,000. Triger is rather intelligent, and appears to be truthful. He wishes to return to his home to plant corn.

IRVIN McDOWELL,

Major_General.

WARRENTON JUNCTION, April 29, 1862.

General BANKS, near Staunton:

The rebels have left the Rappahannock. I virtually have possession of Warrenton. Every day or two detachments of troops go there. No evidence of the enemy having been there for the last two weeks. The Twelfth and Sixteenth Indiana Regiments go to Washington on the 9th to be mustered out of service.

J. J. ABERCROMBIE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

AQUIA CREEK, April 30, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

General Geary, heretofore stationed on line of Manassas Gap Railroad, reports intention of moving away, and has asked General McCall to guard that road. I have ordered General McCall's division to the Rappahannock, and it cannot furnish the detail without great inconvenience and detriment, besides taking our forces westward, when, from the present disposition of the enemy, that which is west of the Blue Ridge should rather come east. As the Manassas Gap road is for the supply of Major-General Banks' army, I beg to suggest that it be protected from Manassas Junction by detail from his command, as it can be more readily looked after by him than by me, and he can better spare the force than I. I sent some time since a squadron of my cavalry to convoy a hundred baggage wagons from near Centreville to General Banks' department. The squadron has not yet been sent back-not been heard from. I need it. Please require that it be sent back to the regiment at Fredericksburg at once.

IRVIN McDOWELL,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 1862.

Major-General McDOWELL,

Commanding Department of the Rappahannock:

GENERAL: The Secretary of War has given me authority to inform