re are the rest
which were in that vicinity and which we have sent forward? Have any of
them been cut off?

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL R. SAXTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT, May 25, 1862.

GENERAL SAXTON, Harper's Ferry:

I fear you have mistaken me. I did not mean to question the correctness of
your conduct; on the contrary! I approve what you have done. As the 2500
reported by you seemed small to me, I feared some had got to Banks and
been cut off with him. Please tell me the exact number you now have in
hand.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL G. B. McCLELLAN.

[Sent in cipher.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., May 25,1862. 8.30 P.M.

MAJOR-GENERAL McCLELLAN:

Your despatch received. General Banks was at Strasburg, with about 6,000
men, Shields having been taken from him to swell a column for McDowell
to aid you at Richmond, and the rest of his force scattered at various
places. On the 23d a rebel force of 7000 to 10,000 fell upon one regiment
and two companies guarding the bridge at Front Royal, destroying it
entirely; crossed the Shenandoah, and on the 24th (yesterday) pushed to
get north of Banks, on the road to Winchester. Banks ran a race with them,
beating them into Winchester yesterday evening. This morning a battle
ensued between the two forces, in which Banks was beaten back into full
retreat toward Martinsburg, and probably is broken up into a total rout.
Geary, on the Manassas Gap railroad, just now reports that Jackson is
now near Front Royal, With 10,000, following up and supporting, as I
understand, the forces now pursuing Banks, also that another force of
10,000 is near Orleans, following on in the same direction. Stripped here,
as we are here, it will be all we can do to prevent them crossing the
Potomac at Harper's Ferry or above. We have about 20,000 of McDowell's
force moving back to the vicinity of Front Royal, and General Fremont, who
was at Franklin, is moving to Harrisonburg; both these movements intended
to get in the enemy's rear.

One more of McDowell's brigades is ordered through here to Harper's Ferry;
the rest of his force remains for the present at Fredericksburg. We are
sending such regiments and dribs from here and Baltimore as we can spare
to Harper's Ferry, supplying their places in some sort by calling in
militia from the adjacent States. We also have eighteen cannon on the
road to Harper's Ferry, of which arm there is not a single one yet at that