H. W. Hauueck, July 14, 1864

July 14, 1864. (Received 4.10 p. m.)

My command moved from Offutt’s Cross-Roads at 4.30 o’clock this morning, and advanced to near Seneca Creek, when, learning nothing from the cavalry on the Rockville road, and getting intelligence through a small party, which had been sent from the cavalry in my immediate front, which had been driven in, that the enemy was in full force at Darnestown, I have halted until I can ascertain the truth of the report by an infantry reconnaissance now out. I believe that the bulk of the enemy’s force has already crossed the river at Edwards Ferry. This fact will shortly be developed, and, if they have left Darnestown, I shall continue the march to Edwards Ferry. I send three prisoners, one an officer, who says that the bulk of their command has already crossed the river. One of his men also reports that General Franklin escaped Tuesday, about nine miles from Baltimore. Is positive of this. The march is rather a severe one, the men straggling poset: The teams are green, and the trains consequently move much less rapidly than the infantry. At last accounts none of the Nineteenth Corps had joined. General Gillmore epee his foot seriously last night, and has probably returned to

ne city. H. G. WRIGHT, Major-General, Commanding. Maj. Gen. H. W. Hatueck,

Chief of Staff.

TWO MILES FROM POOLESVILLE, M. D., July 14, 1864—2.30 p.m. (Received 9.20 p. m.) My cavalry is in the immediate vicinity of Poolesville, and tinds the enemy in some force. He has opened upon the cavalry with two guns. What the force is, is not yet developed, but will be determined as soon as the infantry column (the head of which is about half an hour in rear) comes up. H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

Major-General HaLLeEck, Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS SIxTH ARMY CORPS, Poolesville, Md., July 14, 1864—6 p. m.

I have the honor to report my arrival at this point, and that most of the infantry of this corps and a part of the artillery have come up. The train is stretched along the road for a great distance, and will not be all up by midnight, if so soon. Judging from last reports the troops of the Nineteenth Corps will not reach this place by ten miles to-night.

The cavalry overtook the rear guard of the enemy’s cavalry at this point, which fell back after a slight skirmish, taking the road to White’s Ford, where the main body of the enemy, with his trains, had crossed before we reached this place. I have sent the cavalr forward to see whether anything can be done against the rear guard, but presume it will be too late. The enemy had and kept about twenty-four hours the start of us, which gave him full time to secure his crossing of the river.

I have not been able to get any intelligence from General Hunter’s command, and have, therefore, for further operations only the two divisions of my corps, numbering perhaps 10,000, and some 500 possibly of the Nineteenth Corps, which, unless I overrate the enemy’s strength, is wholly insufficient to justify the following up of the enemy on the other side of the Potomac. I presume this will not be the policy-of the War Department, and I shall, therefore, wait instructions before proceeding farther, which I hope to receive by the time the Nineteenth Corps arrives. In the mean time I shall endeavor to open communication both with General Hunter and General Howe. I should also report that a portion of the enemy’s cavalry, said to be McCausland’s, is represented to have crossed at Muddy Branch Ford, and some at Edwards Ferry, though not in considerable numbers. I changed the direction of the column to this point on learning that the ford at Edwards Ferry was not passable for trains, and hoped to be able to come up with the enemy at one of the upper fords.

My troops have marched over thirty miles in about twenty-four hours, over bad roads and under excessive heat.

I send this by an officer, who is directed to await your instructions. H. G. WRIGHT, Major-General, Commanding.

Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCEs, Poolesville, Md., July 16, 1864—7 a. m.

GENERAL: Your dispatch of yesterday, by Captain Farrar, of my staff, was received toward evening, and about the same time I received intelligence through my own couriers from General Hunter’s command, and also a dispatch from General Howe, at Harper’s. Ferry, where General Hunter had just arrived. A little later Ireceived the dispatch of Colonel Chipman, of General Hunter’s staff, to the Secretary of War, from which and from other information I learned that General Sullivan, with some 7,000 infantry and: 2,000 cavalry, crossed the Potomac at Knoxville, near Berlin, and was moving on Leesburg via Hillsborough. Fearing that he might meet the enemy in too strong force for his command, I have put the force here in motion for Leesburg, crossing at White’s Ford, and have instructed General Ord to move as rapidly as practicable to the same

oint, crossing at Young’s Island, about one and a half miles below ee Ferry.

The troops of the Nineteenth Corps reached this point late in the afternoon of yesterday, and constitute, with the two divisions of the Sixth Corps, the force with which I am moving on Leesburg. General Ord’s command will not probably reach that point before all day to-morrow.

The necessity for supporting General Sullivan’s movement renders it necessary to, move in advance of a portion of the trains not yet up, but I think they will be sufficiently covered by the general movement and the small force left for their protection.

From the information gained here from Union citizens well acquainted with the cy on the other side of the river I apprehend that it will be impossible to subsist to any extent on the country, with the exception of forage, everything having been pretty much swept off by the enemy.

y headquarters will be at Leesburg to-night.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,