As soon as relieved, Major Whiting will at once repair to this city and report in person at the War Department.

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25. By direction of the President of teh United States, Major General C. C. Augur will temporarily relieve Major-General Heintzelman from the command of the Department of Washington and of the Twenty-second Army Corps. *

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By order of teh Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, October 15, 1863-12. 30 a. m.

General HUMPHREYS:

Your last dispatch was received after i had crossed Bull Run and was 2 miles this side of it. My troops will be bivouacked there. There is no water that I could see. Shall they continue to Centreville in the morning, in pursuance of the order of yesterday?

Respectfully,
GEO. SYKES.

[P. S.]-My headquarters are about a mile in rear of troops, at a house on the right-hand side of the road going from Centerville to Bull Run. The orderly who carries this dispatch knows where they are. My troops will not all get to their ground before 3 a. m.

WASHINGTON, October 15, 1863-2 a. m.

Major-General MEADE:

There are not troops in front of Washington south of the Potomac, excepting those in the works, say 7,000, and the guard in and around Alexandria. I do not know what troops, if any, are on their way to Fairfax Station, but will have you informed before morning. General King has about 2,000 men under him at Fairfax Court-House and other points in that vicinity.

C. C. AUGUR,

Major-General.

WASHINGTON, October 15, 1863-4. 30 a. m.

Major-General MEADE:

To your question to General Augur, what troops are being forwarded to Fairfax Station, the reply is that there are six regiments and two batteries (old volunteer troops) on their way from New York to the Army of the Potomac. These regiments number about 3,000.

JAS. A. HARDIE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*Major-General Augur assumed command same day.

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