Danl. Butterfield to Lieutenant-Colonel SAWTELLE, June 13, 1863

June 13, 1863. Lieutenant-Colonel SAWTELLE, Chief Quartermaster, Cavalry Corps:

Your letter of the 11th, by Captain Tidball, just received. Your plan about the bridges is a good one, if it could be done in time, but events are crowding too rapidly for it. Did you mention to the general about bringing up the troops at Norfolk and vicinity as soon as practicable ? A. PLEASONTON, Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PorTomac, Camp near Falmouth, Va., June 138, 1863.

Commanding Officer First Corps:

I inclose herewith copies of the dispatches forwarded you yesterday and today, to cover any errors that may have occurred in their transmission by telegraph. With these also will reach you Major Sterling, Captain Dahlgren, and Lieutenant Bates, of the general staff. Thetwo former are thoroughly familiar with the country through the Valley, and the movements of Lee’s, Frémont’s, and Sigel’s troops last year.

fou will appreciate from the last dispatch inclosed the reasons which cause the present position of this army. You will also realize

Cuar, XXXIX,] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION.

the important duties intrusted to you. Captain McEntee, representative of Colonel Sharpe’s department, isin the vicinity of Bealeton

or Warrenton ; General Pleasonton will tell you where. Information is the thing most desirable, that you may act advisedly. General Meade, General Birney, and General Pleasonton will be directed bly involve our marching on the inner circle, and attack them, it opportunity offers. It is desired particularly to guard against their getting in advance of us, if their movement is that way, and coming in Meas Manassas Gap, and getting in a measure between this army and Washington. i may be that they have only intended a cavalry raid, and moved their infantry in the vicinity of Culpeper to sa it. It may be also that they intended their cavalry raid ve cover the movement of the bulk of their infantry around our right.

In view of the lack of information concerning their movements, the position is a delicate one, requiring energy and vigilance.

A. P. Hill’s corps still remains here. The reports of two contrabands make Ewell’s and part of Longstreet’s corps at Culpeper, and passing through Culpeper. The enemy must on no account. be permitted to get on the lineof retreat of your wing by Manassas to Alexandria, or a position in front of Washington. This may not be intended, but it is one of the events in the relative position of the right and left of this army, and of the enemy, that is to be guarded against.

A signal party is ordered to report to you. It is found that telegraphic communication often fails at the time when most needed. It is necessary to bear this in mind, to be prepared for such an emergency. Should the movement of the enemy prove to be toward our right in the Shenandoah Valley, the general will move up with the forces here as soon as it is definitely ascertained.

Since writing theabove, the general directs me to say that he shall probably withdraw from this line to-night to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.

Very respectfully, &c.,