RICHMOND, December 2, 1861.

Colonel M. G. HARMAN, Staunton, Va.:

Send to their destination without delay, by telegraph or express,the following to General Donelson and Colonel Starke, at Lewisburg:

Retire with your respective commands to the nearest point ion the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and proceed thence to Bowling Green, Ky., and report to General A. S. Johnston.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

RICHMOND, December 2, 1861.

General W. W. LORING, Staunton, Va.:

Your dispatch to the Secretary of war of yesterday os received, but your communication referred to in that dispatch not yet come to hand. Until the Secretary knows its contents he cannot answer your question. Telegraphs so much as will enable him to act. In mean time use your discretion in respect to the two regiments from Millborough.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT,
Winchester, Va., December 2, 1861.

Major THOMAS G. RHETT,

Asst. Adjt. General Hdqrs. Department of Northern Virginia:

MAJOR: The enemy are using the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as far east as the Little Cacapon, and from official information received last night they commenced working on the Little Cacapon railroad bridge at 3 p. m. on Friday last,a nd will soon complete the work, as they had all the building material on hand. They are energetically pressing the railroad repairs eastward. With but comparative little exception both tracks have been by our Government taken up from the Furnace Hill, near Harper's Ferry, to Martinsburg, and about 7 1\2 miles of one of the tracks has also bee removed west of Martinsburg. One track in as yet preserved for the purpose of hauling away the other to the vicinity of Martinsburg. Captain Sharpe, assistant quartermaster, has repaired a locomotive for the purpose of removing the track more rapidly, and to-day I expect it to commence running, and Captain Sharpe expect to be able with it to remove 1 mile pe day of the single track. I have made a detail of 50 men the militia for the purpose of expediting the work as rapidly as possible.

I have sent General Carson which his brigade into Morgan Country. He drove the enemy across the Potomac, took from the railroad at Sir John's Run Depot about 1,000 pounds of lead pope and some other property. His headquarters are at Bath, and in consequence of the enemy's advance from the west, and the intelligence of his being at Paw Paw Tunel, I have directed him to fall back, so as to prevent his being cut off.

My old brigade is suffering for want of a brigadier. I respectfully request that, if practicable, the commanding general oft the department will send one. Colonel James F. Perston is sick, and the command consequently devolves on Colonel Allen. I have near 1,200 militia without arms. Can you forward muskets for them? I have detached Company