route will be through Centerville, Gum Spring, and by the old Carolina road to Leesburg. Officers leading the column will, whenever practicable, lead it through fields, avoiding the dusty roads, and will halt sufficiently often to keep it well closed. In this, as in all future marches, the corps will, in case of attack, march to the sound of the heaviest firing. At all considerable halts the column and trains will be massed, if practicable. Officers are charged with the responsibility of keeping their commands together, and it is hoped that the emergency will interest all in making every possible effort to expedition the column. Existing orders as to position of offices during the march will be respected.

By command of Major-General Birney:

O. H. HART,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[27.]

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
Gum Spring, June 18, 1863-4.30 a. m.

Major-General BUTTERFIELD,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that my headquarters were located yesterday p. m. at General Spring. General Reynolds is at Guilford Station; General Howard at Trappe Rock. Yesterday about 4 p. m. General Pleasonton had a sharp engagement with the enemy near Aldie. He met Feitzhug Lee with his brigade of cavalry, caused him to retire, and took prisoners 9 offices and 66 men. General Pleastonton intended to follow after the enemy this morning. The prisoners were received here last evening, and are now on their way to the provost-marshal-general. Your orders to remain in position here were received about 10 o'clock last night. I send two orderlies, one to return immediately, the other to wait till afternoon.

By order of Major-General Meade:

FRED. T. LOCKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

P. S. -Captain Jay, aide-de-camp, has just this moment returned. Your dispatch of 1 a. m. received; copies will be sent in a few minutes to Generals Howard and Pleasonton.

F. T. L.

[27.]

HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH CORPS,
June 18, 1863.

Major-General BUTTERFIELD,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I have patrolled to the north, west, and east of this position to-day. In Leesburg Captain Sharra, First Indiana Cavalry, with sixteen men came in sight of about twenty rebel cavalry, who instantly left toward Harper's Ferry. The patrol down Goose Creek, which has just reported, say that nothing it seen. I expected General Slocum was to move to Leesburg to-day, but there are no signs of him. A party of guerrillas or Mosby's cavalry picked up some stragglers between me and General Meade this morning. These parties are patroling about us, but without cavalry I cannot prevent or capture them. A single squadron would relieve me very much here. The inhabitants say that