SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Numbers 1.
Washington, August 22, 1861.

The Thirty-seventh Regiment New York Volunteers, now on its march to Arlington, will halt at Fort Albany and take the place of the Twelfth Regiment New York Volunteers in Brigadier-General Richardson's brigade. The commanding officer of the latter regiment will report to Brigadier-General Keyes for orders, and will form a part of Brigadier-General Wadworth's brigade.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

A. V. COLBURN,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[5.]

GAULEY BRIDGE, August 22, 1861.

General W. S. ROSECRANS:

The rumors of large forces about have not kept me from being active. My parties are constantly out as far as they can go without wagons, covering a circuit of nearly thirty miles. I have two companies following up the retreat of Floyd's men, with orders to strike at every opportunity. I put no faith in the stories of surrounding until Colonel Smith, of the Thirteenth, came from Summersville in person and insisted he and Colonel Tyler had reliable evidence that a large force under Lee was well supplied with pack horses, and would take the mountain path to Charleston. My own judgment has been as expressed in my letter of 7th until Colonel Smith came, and since he left I have been convinced he was unduly excited by rumors. The misurnderstanding of your dispatch of the 17th was owing to the fact that the Twenty-eighth was spoken of in it as the regiment to relieve the Twelfth. Colonel Tyler's regiment marched sixeen miles this way on the 20th, to be at the point to command the Rich Creek and Twenty-Mile Creek roads when the advance of Floyd was first known. He will immediately return to Cross-Lanes. That point commands he different roads to Lewisburg and Huntersville better than the village of Summersville, and is much easier held. I have given Colonel Tyler your ideas of the necessity of holding his position and acting vigorouly and fearlessly. We have information that Colonel Smith did not stop at sutton, but continued on toward Weston.

J. D. COX,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[5.]

HEADQUARTERS CORPS OF OBSERVATION,
Poolesville, August 23, 1861.

Colonel JOHN W. GEARY,

Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Vols., Commanding at Point of Rocks:

COLONEL: Your letter of yesterday's date is received this morning. The ambualnces and sick of your command arrived yesterday morning and were consigned to the care of Colonel Cogswell, of the Tammany Regiment, Surgeon Osborne. I applaud your determination to give a strong fight in case of any attempt of the enemy to cross, and believe it would be very hazardous for them to attempt such a movement in the face of a fine regiment. I have three companies at the monocacy and support ready for them, while my pickets extend from near Noland's