SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

No. 126.
Camp Winf. Scott, near Yorkt'n Va., Ap'l 27, 1862.

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III. Brigadier General F. J. Porter is assigned to duty as director of the siege. He will report in person at least twice each day to the general commanding, from whom, or the chief of staff, he will receive his instructions.

Instead of reporting to the chief of staff as heretofore ordered, the generals of the trenches will report to the director of the siege, and obey such orders as he may give them.

All persons on duty in the trenches, whether as guards, working parties, or serving guns, will obey the orders of the director of the siege.

All arrangements in reference to the construction of new works, their armament, and opening fire, &c., will be promptly communicated by the proper officer to the director of the siege as soon as determined upon.

It will be the duty of the director of the siege to determine the strength and location of the guards of the trenches, for which he will make requisitions, in ample season, upon the adjutant-general of this army.

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VI. The officer charged in each division, by existing orders from these headquarters, with the duty of regulating the details of working parties during the siege will be selected hereafter from the grade of field officers, and will be assisted by three officers of the rank of subalterns, to be taken from the division. The field officer thus designated, with his assistants, together with the guides heretofore directed to be selected from each division, whose business it will e to acquaint themselves with the locality of each of the works erected and in progress, will all report to Brigadier General F. J. Porter, director of the siege. The assistants to the field officer referred to, if not mounted, will be furnished with horses and equipments by the quartermaster's department on the requisition of the field officer, approved by the division commander.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, April 28, 1862-10.30 a.m.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:

Nothing of interest during the night. No firing on our right, where the work proceeded undisturbed. On the left the enemy fired a good deal, but hurt no one, nor was the work interrupted. Have just sent a heavy field battery to silence a gun or two of the enemy that have been impertinent this morning, but have hurt no one.

Weather has improved and we are making good progress.

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.