try fight; Eighth Virginia and Seventeenth and Eighteenth Mississippi Regiments engaged. The Thirteenth Mississippi held as reserve. No artillery fired by us.

THOMAS JORDAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[5.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE PENINSULA, ASST. ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 101.
Yorktown, October 22, 1861.

The major-general commanding the Army of the Peninsula has the pleasure to announce to the command a brilliant achivement of our arms on the Potomac, communicated to him by the following telegram from the Adjutant-General of the Army, at Richmond:

The following telegram received from General Beauregard: "Evans was engaged with the enemy yesterday. A brilliant affair for our arms. He drove twelve regiments back into the river; took nearly 200 prisoners, including Colonel Cogswell, and 10 officers; killed Colonel Baker, of California or Oregon, and took 6 pieces of artillery. Thus stood the affair at dark."

Let us prove ourselves worthy of our brothers in arms on the Potomac by attacking the enemy with vigor and devotion wherever found, driving them from our soil. His cause is bad, his men are hirelings, and impetuosity on our part will always carry the day. The great command should be, "There is the enemy; destroy him" In addition to the above, the following telegram has been received:

Our victory at Leesburg complete. Captured nearly 600 prisoners and 1,200 stand of arms. Their killed and wounded between 1,000 and 1,200. The route was total. This is authentic.

By command of Major-General Magruder:

J. M. JONES,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[4.]

HDQRS. FIRST CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Centerville, Va., October 23, 1861.

General J. E. JOHNSTON, Centerville, Va.:

DEAR GENERAL: It is reported that all that heavy armament was intended against Magruder, who has been fighting all day before yesterday; this might explain the plan of occupying the Valley of Virginia with Banks' column strongly re-enforced to cut off our retreat in that direction in case Richmond was taken. Don't you think it would be wise and proper to make a tremendous attack on Dranesville to relieve Evans and break through all their plans, for then we might turn the tables on them. I am going to visit the country from here to Sudley Springs. Will be back about 3 p. M.

Yours, truly,

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

[5.]

RICHMODN, October 23, 1861.

General BENJAMIN HUGER, Norfolk:

Keep a vigilant watch on the expedition now about to move from Fort Monroe. As soon as it starts, inform us whether it is moving north or south.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Acting Secretary of War.

[4.]

23 R R-VOL LI, PT II