for twenty-six, and making a complete circle of fire, were thrown up and made very strong by ditches and abatis. Parties were sent out into the surrounding country, who destroyed or brought away large quantities of grain, seized horses, mules, bacon, &c., and great number of negroes were brought in.

May 31, Sunday.-Commenced to embark for Yorktown, which was continued without interruption from the enemy until everything was safely on board of the transports and taken to Yorktown.

CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING SPECIALLY TO OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA FROM AUGUST 20, 1862, TO JUNE 3, 1863.

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

FORT MONROE, August 20, 1862-10 a. m.

Major General E. D. KEYES,

Commanding Fourth Corps, Yorktown, Va.:

Your corps is to halt at Yorktown until further orders. If you have passed beyond the vicinity of that place when this reaches you, you will at once return to Yorktown and there await further orders, which may not reach you for some days.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fort Monroe, August 20, 1862.

General E. D. KEYES,

Commanding Fourth Army Corps, Yorktown:

The commanding general directs that you remain with your corps in the immediate vicinity of Yorktown until further orders. You will probably remain for several days.

General Heintzelman was directed to send one or two regiments to occupy Gloucester Point; as General Heintzelman's corps is about embarking you will please hold halt Point with one or two regiments from your command until you embark.

R. B. MARCY,

Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fortress Monroe, August 21, 1862.

Major General E. D. KEYES, Yorktown:

Supplies of every necessary character for the troops can be obtained at Yorktown. There is no necessity for any officers to visit Fortress Monroe to obtain them.

The general commanding directs that you confer with Lieutenant Colonel B. S. Alexander, and furnish from your command the necessary details of working parties to carry out his views with regard to the defense of