behind the Pamunkey, at Hanover Court-House or Hanover Junction. If he is not pressed hard by McClellan he may, by having concentrated his troops, be able, by the use of the railroad, to send a large force, with safety to himself, against me at Fredericksburg; or, if he is hard pressed by McClellan, the latter will need me to operate in strength on the enemy's extreme left. In either case is it not simply prudence to at once send over to this line every available battalion, that this final struggle may be met or urged, with every chance of insuring a favorable result, as speedily and as economically, both in blood and treasure, as possible? I propose to urge Shields's division over here at once, and I beg leave to urge, and I do with reluctance, on personal ground, that if Blenker's division can be brought over it will be for the public good. He cannot otherwise possibly reach any enemy to do anything, either directly or indirectly, and here his force may avert disaster or insure success.

IRVIN McDOWELL,

Major-General.

HARRISONBURG, May 4, 1862-noon.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your dispatch of 4th received 10 a.m. Our officers are all confident that Jackson's force is near Port Republic, and Ewell's division at Elk Run Church, near Miller's Bridge, on Shenandoah River, Jackson's old position.

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

WINCHESTER, May 4, 1862-3 p.m.

E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your two dispatches received. Dei gratia they will be but demonstrations, or will be very costly to the rebels, if the grand army has the will and power of locomotion. The First Brigade of this division has gone to Romney. The horseshoes arrived. The cavalry and teams of the other are ready to move to-morrow. If you think it prudent to wait till Tuesday telegraph.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Brigadier-General. U. S. Army.

NEW CREEK, May 4, 1862.

No. 3.]

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

General Cox reports that after the affair at Camp Creek the Twenty-third Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes, pushed forward and drove Colonel Jenifer, with 300 cavalry, through Princeton. Jenifer set fire to the place, but 6 or 8 houses were saved by Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes. Jenifer is reported to have gone Rocky Gap. He adds that Lieutenant-Colonel Paxton's detachment of Bolles' cavalry behaved splendidly,