Valley Spirit

Highly Important Movements.
Advance To Gordonsville.
An Important Railroad Junction of the Rebels Destroyed.

Washington, July 18--A letter from Warrenton says our troops are all in fine spirits at the prospect of active operations. Mention is also made of an important movement already made. The people of Warrenton are represented as courteous towards our troops; and the ladies, though rank Secessionists, treat them with dignified politeness. Warrenton and White Sulphur Springs have been recently infested by Rebel scouts, who were passed yesterday by a detachment of our cavalry without opposition.

Reports exist in camp, which are probably based on Rebel authority, that Jackson is at Staunton preparing for another visit down the valley. He will not have an undisputed march.

The command of General Hatch is reported to have penetrated as far as Rapidan Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad, seventy-four miles from Washington.

The following appointment have been made in General Bank's Corps d'armee: Brigadier-General Angur to the First Division, Brigadier-General Prince to the First Brigade and Brigadier-General Greene to the Second Brigade of the same Division.

Later from General Pope's Army.

Washington, July 18--We feel at liberty to state that yesterday a portion of the army of Gen. Pope entered the important town of Gordonsville, Virginia, unopposed, and duly destroyed all the railroad paraphernalia at that point--the junction of the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia Central Railroads. Three-fourths of the troops, munitions and supplies of ever[y] description for the Rebel army at Richmond, of necessity, passed through Gordonsville by rail. The blow is, therefore, a most important one, more especially as it is the first of a series which, we trust, will do more to cripple the efficiency of the Rebel army at Richmond than aught that has yet occurred.

Official Orders.

The following orders have been issued in this Department for its government:

Generad [sic] Orders, No 5.

H.Q. of the Army of Virginia, Washington, July 18, 1862. Hereafter, as far as practicable the troops of this command will subsist upon the country in which their operations are carried on. In all cases, supplies for this purpose will be taken by the officer to whose department they properly belong, under the orders of the commanding officer of the troops for whose use they are intended. Vouchers will be given to the owners, stating on their face that they will be payable at the conclusion of the war, upon sufficient testimony being produced that such owners had been loyal citizens of the United States since the date of the vouchers.

Whenever it is known that supplies can be furnished in any district of the country where the troops are to operate, the use of trains for carrying subsistence will be dispensed with as far as possible.

By command of Major-General Pope.

Geo. D Ruggles, Col. A A G and Chief of Staff.

General Orders, No 6.

H.Q. of the Army of Virginia, Washington, July 18th, 1862. Hereafter in all operations of the cavalry forces in this command, no supply or baggage trains of any description will be used, unless so stated specially in the order for the movement.

Two days cooked rations will be carried or the persons of the men, and all villages and neighborhoods through which they pass will be laid under contribution, in the manner specified by General Orders No 5 (current series) from these head quarters, for subsistence of men and horses.

Movements of cavalry must always be made with celerity, and no delay in such movements will be excused, hereafter, on any pretext.

Whenver the order for the movement of any portion of this army emenates [sic] from these headquarters, the time of marching, and that to be in the execution of the duty, will be especially designated: and no departure therefrom will be permitted to pass unnoticed without the gravest and most conclusive reasons. The commanding officer will be held responsible for a strict and prompt compliance with every provision of this order.

By command of Major-General Pope

Geo. D. Ruggles, Col. A A G and Chief of Staff. General Orders, No 7.

H Q of the Army of Virginia, Washington, July 18, 1862; The people of the valley of the Shenandoah, and throughout the region of the operations of this army, living along the lines of railroad and telegraph, and along the routes of travel in the rear of the United States forces are notified that they will be held responsible for any injury done to the track, line or road, or for any attacks upon trains or straggling soldiers by bands of guerrillas in their neighborhood.

No privileges or immunities of war can apply to the lawless bands of individuals not forming a part of the organized forces of the enemy, nor wearing the garb of soldiers, who, seeking to obtain safety on the pretext of being peaceful citizens, start out in the rear of the army, attack and murder straggling soldiers, molest trains of supplies, destroy railroads, telegraph lines and bridges, and, commit outrages disgraceful to a civilized people and revolting to humanity.

Evil disposed persons in the rear of our armies who do not themselves engage directly in these lawless acts, encourage them by refusing to interfere or to give any information by which such acts can be prevented or the perpetrators punished. The safety of the life and property of all person[s] living in the rear of our advancing armies, depends upon the maintenance of peace and quiet among themselves, and upon the unmolested movements through their midst of all pertaining to their military service. They are to understand distinctly that this security of travel is their only warrant of personal safety. It is, therefore, ordered that, whenever a railroad, or telegraph line is injured by parties of guerrillas, the citizens living within five miles of the spot shall be turned out en masse to repair the damage, and shall besides pay to the United States in money, or in property, to be levied by military force, the full amount of the pay and subsistence of the whole force necessary to coerce the performance of the work during the time occupied in completing it.

If any soldier or legitimate follower of the army be fired upon from any house, the house shall be razed to the ground and the inhabitants sent prisoners to the head-quarters of this army. If such an outrage occur at any place distant from the settlements, the people within five miles around shall be held accountable and made to pay an indemnity sufficient for the case. Any persons detected in such outrages either during the act or at any time afterwards shall be shot without waiting civil process.

No such acts can influence the result of this war, and they can only lead to heavy affliction to the population to no purpose. It is, the e[illegible]fore, enjoined upon all persons, both for the security of their own property and the safety of their own persons that they act vigorously and cordially together to prevent the perpetration of such outrages.

Whilst it is the wish of the General commanding this army, that all peaceably disposed persons who remain at their homes and pursue their accustomed avocations shall be subjected to no improper burthen of war, yet their own safety must of necessity depend upon the strict preservation of peace and order among themselves, and they are to understand that nothing will deter him from enforcing promptly and to the full extent, every provision of this order.

By command of Major-General Pope
G D Ruggles, Col. A A G and Chief of Staff.