Joseph Hooker to Joseph Hooker, March 11, 1863

March 11, 1863—8.20 p. m. Major-General HOOKER, Washington, D. C.: Sharpe’s signals have all day indicated, as yesterday, a move. He will explain. A signal station of enemy’s reported broken up and moved. Scout in (named Skinker) reports Stuart in the Valley with one brigade; also reports a raid contemplated on Potomac Bridge. DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Chief of Staff.

MARCH 12, 1863. General GEORGE STONEMAN, Commanding Cavalry Corps:

The major-general commanding directs that you send out a force to make a reconnaissance to Kelly’s Ford and the intermediate fords between that and our lines; that the force be one merely for observation and knowledge of what movements the enemy may be making in those neighborhoods. One regiment, properly commanded, ought to accomplish this. That the force leave at daylight to-morrow; that means be taken to secure prompt and correct information from them, and that such information be reported here immediately upon its arrival.

DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Chief of Staff.

BALTIMORE, M. D., March 12, 1863—8.45 a. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: Major-General Wright, commanding the Department of the Ohio, still claims the troops under General Moor, and asks me to recall my order directing General Moor to this command until you ean decide. Ihave instructed General Kelley to suspend the order for a week. I certainly consider these troops mine, under your authority. They belong to General Kelley’s railroad force and to General Milroy, and two regiments have been sent by you, since I have been in this command, transferred from General Cox, to report for duty to Brigadier-General Kelley. See my former communication. ROBT. C. SCHENCK, Major-General, Commanding.

ORDERS. Hp@rs. MIDDLE DEPT., EIGHTH ARMY CORPS, Baltimore, March 12, 1863. In the absence of Major-General Schenck, the undersigned, in pursuance of instructions from the War Department, assumes the command of the Middle Department. ‘ W. W. MORRIS, Brevet Brigadier-General, U. 8S. Army, Commanding.

March 14, 1863. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLEck,

General-in-Chief : Lhave reliable information from Union men this moment from Charlestown that Herndon [?], Jones, and Imboden are with their forces at Stras- burg, in all over 10,000 men, with ten or more field pieces. It is be. lieved they are moving on Winchester. B. S. ROBERTS, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

(Copy to Major-General Heintzelman, Department of Washington; General Schenck, Baltimore ; General Hooker, Army of the Potomac.)

BALTIMORE, M. D., March 14, 1863—1.30 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALUECK, General-in-Chief : Following sent to commanding officer, Harper’s Ferry : You will immediately send forward two regiments of infantry to re-enforee General Milroy at Winchester. By order of Brevet Brigadier-General Morris: W. M. H. CHESEBROUGH, Assistant Adjutant-General.

MARCH 14, 1863—5 p. m. Major-General STONEMAN, Commanding Cavalry Corps:

I have just received the following from Dumfries. I have sent for the scout to come in to-night:

[Marcy] —, 1863. CoLoNnEL: I have returned from scouting in the vicinity of Brentsville. At Brentsville and vicinity is Hampton’s Legion. On Bacon Ridge, en route to Occoquan, about of artillery. Enemy under the impression that this place (Dumfries) has been evacuated, and are ae Tas the country. From information, I learn there is quite a force near Warrenton. Have you any directions to give, or shall I return to you or start

again in the direction of Brentsville and vicinity? Answer immediately.

Major-General, Chief of Staff.

GENERAL ORDERS, at Sega tect ARMY OF THE Potomac, No. 27. Camp near Falmouth, Va., March 14, 1863.

III. Officers reviewing the proceedings of courts-martial will hereafter withhold their approval from sentences which cannot be carried into effect within the limits of this army. When such are awarded, the court will be directed to reconsider its action.

I. V. The commissions directed by Paragraph I, of General Orders, No. 20, of the 5th instant, from these hea:quarters, to be appointed to examine into the cases of officers absent from duty without proper authority, will be detailed by corps commanders, and the proceedings of such commissions will be forwarded for the consideration of the commanding general.

V. No furloughs will be granted to enlisted men except under the provisions of Paragraph VI, of General Orders, No. 3, of January 30, 1863, from these headquarters. When, in the opinion of the medical officers in charge of a regiment or field hospital, it may be necessary to remove a soldier for treatment beyond the limits of this army, an application for the purpose will be transmitted through the prescribed channel to the medical director at these headquarters, and, if he approves the same, he will indicate the hospital to which the soldier is to be sent, and return the application to the corps commander, who will give the requisite order in the case.

V. I. Copies of all orders sending officers or enlisted men to the general hospitals in Washington, Alexandria, or Georgetown will be transmitted, at their dates, to Surg. R. O. Abbott, medical director of the Department of Washington.

VII. As the inspection reports of the following-named regiments and battery show that they have greatly improved in condition since the promulgation of General Orders, No. 18, of March 3, 1863, from these headquarters, they are relieved from the disability as to leaves of absence and furloughs placed upon them by Paragraph V, of those orders, viz: Thirty-fourth, Forty-second, Fifty-ninth, and Eighty-eighth New York Volunteer Regiments, Sixth-ninth and One hundred and fiftyfifth Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiments, and Twelfth Olio Volunteer Battery.

VIII. All orders and instructions given by a staff officer at any headquarters to his subordinates on duty with troops, affecting the troops or their supplies, will be issued in the name of the commander with whom such staff officer may be immediately serving, and be transmitted to the officer or agent for whom they are designed through the commander with whom the officer or agent may be on duty.

1X. Scouting parties and pickets will exercise a wise discretion in the arrest of citizens peacefully remaining at home. Such persons will not be brought within the lines of this army unless upon proof sufficient to warrant their being taken into custody, and in all cases the witnesses, or a statement showing their names and places of residence, will accompany the parties held as prisoners.

By command of Major-General Hooker: