Abstract from Return of the Railroad Brigade, Middle Department, Colonel Dixon S. Miles, Second U. S. Infantry, commanding, for May 20, 1862.

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate Aggregate

present. present

and

absent.

Harper's 3 --- 3 3

Ferry, W.

Va.

(headquarters)

Winchester, Va 35 843 921 939

Charlestown, Va 30 672 755 833

Sir John's 35 853 908 927

Run, W. Va

Opposite 7 194 218 268

Williamsport

Relay 34 852 925 938

House, Md

Beltsville, Md 28 384 454 502

Ellicott's 3 97 103 103

Mills, Md

Monocacy 32 648 706 847

Brigade,

Md.

Total 207 4,543 4,993 5,360

COMPOSITION OF RAILROAD BRIGADE, MAY 20, 1862.

1st District Columbia, Colonel J. A. Tait.

10th Maine, Colonel G. L. Beal.

1st Maryland (P. H. B.), Colonel W. P. Maulby.

4th Maryland (P. H. B.), (three companies), Captain C. A. Welsh.

1st Maryland Cavalry (P. H. B.), (one company), Captain H. A. Cole.

Patapsco (Md.) Guards, Captain T. S. McGowan.

60th New York, Colonel W. B. Goodrich.

8th New York, Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel C. R. Babbitt.

54th Pennsylvania, Colonel J. M. Campbell.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK,
Opposite Fredericksburg, May 21, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Nothing of special interest to-day. The enemy continues as before. If the day has not been too hot for his men to march well, General Shields should be here to-morrow night.

IRVIN McDOWELL,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK,
Opposite Fredericksburg, Va., May 21, 1862.

Brigadier-General PATRICK,

Commanding Brigade in Fredericksburg:

GENERAL: Yesterday an attempt was made by a man in a crowd which assembled near a train passing over the railroad bridge to throw it from the track and he eluded apprehension by running into the crowd.

The major-general directs that you immediately call upon the mayor of Fredericksburg and inform him that if another attempt of the kind is made an indiscriminate fire will bse directed against the source whence the attempt come. Therefore full and fair warning must be given to all the inhabitants not to assemble in the vicinity of our railroad stations, deports, or tracks, if they would avoid the chanced of suffering from any recurrence of the kind above alluded to.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ED. SCHRIVER,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Staff.