vigilance. I desire you to send a strong force of cavalry to make a forced march in the night, and endeavor to destroy some important bridge on the Virginia Central Railroad, say Beaver Dam Bridge. It cannot be more than 35 miles from Fredericksburg. This man Humphreys knows the whole ground, and can go as guide, with the assurance that he will be shot if he makes a mistake. By making a forced march and acting vigorously and rapidly a cavalry force of 300 or 400 men can easily destroy this road so that it cannot be used. Stimulate your cavalry to some enterprise. What I suggest can easily be accomplished, and the command get back in thirty-six hours. They must carry nothing except two days' cooked rations on their persons.

JNO. POPE,

Major-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA,

Numbers 3.
Washington, July 17, 1862.

Commanders of a corps d'armee or of a division of this command may grant passes for the day to officers and men of their commands, which must be signed by one of two officers, who must be designated for the purpose, and whose signatures are to be immediately reported to the provost-marshal of the corps d'armee.

These passes will not be construed to permit their bearers to leave the vicinity of their reactive stations or to visit the city of Washington.

Except as above specified, no officer or soldier of this army will be permitted to leave his command on any pretense whatever without special authority from these headquarter. All officers found absent from their commands fire days after the date of this order will be arrested and tried for disobedience of orders; all soldiers absent after that time will be confined and returned, under guard, to their regiments for trial by court-martial.

By command of Major-General Pope:

GEO. D. RUGGLES,

Colonel, Assistant Adjutant-General, and Chief of Staff.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA,

Numbers 4.
Washington, July 17, 1862.

The following officers are announced as comprising the staff of the major-general commanding, viz:

Colonel George D. Ruggles, assistant adjutant-general and chief of staff.

Colonel John N. Macomo, chief of engineers.

Colonel Robert E. Clary, chief quartermaster.

Colonel Edward G. Beckwith, chief commissary.

Colonel Christopher A. Morgan, aide-de-camp.

Colonel Speed Butler, aide-de-camp.

Colonel Louis H. Marshall, aide-de-camp.

Colonel Benjamin Welch, jr., aide-de-camp.

Lieutenant Colonel T. C. H. Smith, aide-de-camp.

Surg. T. A. McParlin, medial director.

Major Roger Jones, assistant inspector-general.

Major James F. Meline, aide-de-camp and judge-advocate.