pany of soldiers. The officer has just returned. Reports Opequon Bridge injured. Will take two days to repair it. The injury to trestle-works at Martinsburg more serious.

Reliable information makes Jackson's army in our front last Thursday 25,000 of all arms. Report or rumors both at Martinsburg, Charlestown, and at this place state General Fremont's army was repulsed with severe loss yesterday.

D. S. MILES,

Colonel Second Infantry.

FRONT ROYAL, June 3, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I transmit a letter just received from Major-General Fremont:

WOODSTOCK, June 2, 1862.

GENERAL: I thank you for forwarding my dispatch to the Secretary of War, and have to ask you will do the same with the inclosed, which will inform you of the day's operations.*

Your cavalry brigade rendered good and essential service, and if I could have succeeded in bringing up my infantry, would have made the day disastrous to Jackson; but the rapidity of the march made this impossible, and Jackson escaped dispersion. His force must be much demoralized to-night. We shall continue to press him to-morrow, and if General Shields succeeds in intercepting him I think he will find escape difficult.

The weather is terrible on the troops, and we are having another night of hard, continuous rain.

With much respect, I am, general, your obedient servant,

J. C. FREMONT,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

Brigadier-General Bayard's brigade, from my command, now leading the advance of General Fremont's army, consists of the First Pennsylvania and First New Jersey Cavalry, the Bucktail battalion, including Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, and eight pieces of artillery. I understand, unofficially, that Ashby's cavalry made an unsuccessful charge on the Bucktails, and were themselves charged by Bayard, and many prisoners made. Our present embarrassment is from want of food. General Fremont and General Shields have each two days' subsistence; all the others are without food to-day. There is subsistence on the way in the railroad train, but the road is not in working order, and they are behind. General Shields' division is the only force with me which has a wagon supply train. The others will have some, but at present they cannot be pressed forward. I expect soon to have facilities to send Ord's division to support Shields, although the latter desired no support. The difficulty just now of supplying troops at this point and beyond has caused me to concentrate King's division near Thoroughfare Gap.

I have ordered Geary's train on the line of the railroad to resume his former position.

Very respectfully,

IRVIN MCDOWELL,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

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* See Part I, p. 651. Fremont to Stanton.

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