WARRENTON, VA., July 28, 1862.

Colonel E. SCHRIVER, Chief of Staff:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that in obedience to the instruction of the general commanding I proceeded on the 25th instant to Culpeper Court-House; Captain Stockton, aide-de-camp, and Mr. A. G. Childs, my civil assistant, accompanied me. We arrived at Culpeper Court-House about dusk, having made a reconnaissance of the road from Warrenton to Culpeper.

I found the commands of Generals Crawford and Bayard, with fragments of General Hatch's command, posted on the heights immediately north of Culpeper. General Hatch had gone with about 800 men on the road from Madison to Stanardsville, with the intention, as I understood from General Crawford, of proceeding to Charlottesville.

On the 26th I directed Captain Stockton to accompany a party who were going to establish a signal station on Thoroughfare Mountain, near James City. He went as far as James City, making a reconnaissance of the road, but was prevented by the rain from visiting the mountain. Mr. Childs was employed in making a sketch of the country in the vicinity of Culpeper.

I examined some officers who had been out on important scouts, and several contrabands who had come in from beyond our lines.

A scout was made by Colonel Anisansel with five companies of cavalry to within 4 miles of Louisa Court-House on the 18th instant. He met there a regiment of the enemy's cavalry at about 7.30 p.m. of the 19th. He immediately retired, and returned that night to Raccoon Ford. He captured some citizens and negroes, whom he brought back with him to that point. These reported that General Jackson had come to Louisa Court-House from Gordonsville on the 19th, by invitation of the citizens, and had dined there; that he left Louisa Court-House at 4 o'clock the same day for Gordonsville with 12,000 men by the turnpike road, leaving 3,500 men at Louisa, including one regiment of cavalry. They reported that Jackson had a great deal of artillery. They also stated that Ewell was at Gordonsville, but did not give an idea of his force. The colonel dismissed these men at Raccoon Ford.

Negroes who came to Culpeper after his return reported that his presence had produced quite an alarm at Louisa, so much so that Jackson returned there with his force the same night. The enemy did not pursue him on his retreat. The colonel reports that the country along the route he traveled will subsist an army marching through and not making long halts. He saw and heard of about a dozen mills on and near the road. Some of them were full of flour.

A reconnaissance was also made by Major Beaumont, New Jersey cavalry, on the road from Madison to Gordonsville. His report and sketch accompany this paper.* Lieutenant-Colonel Karge also visited Rochelle or Jack's Shop, 6 miles from Madison, on the same road, on the 23rd. He learned from negroes that the enemy had artillery on the south side of the Rapidan, at Liberty Mills, where there is a bridge and cavalry pickets on the north side. They stated that Ewell's forces were on the south side of the Rapidan.

I examined a contraband who had left his master on the 20th. He lived on the south bank of the Rapidan, about 4 miles below Raccoon Ford. He gives a very straight story to the effect that he saw 10 or 15 of the enemy's cavalry in the vicinity on that day, and heard them tell

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* Not found.

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