Harper's Ferry, destroyed the enemy's pontoon train at Williamsport and Falling Waters, and captured its guards. Halting a day at Middletown, General Meade crossed the South-Mountain, and on the twelfth found the enemy occupying a strong position on the heights of Marsh Run, in front of Williamsport. Instead of attacking Lee in this position, with the swollen waters of the Potomac in his rear, without any means of crossing his artillery, and where a defeat must have caused the surrender of his entire army, he was allowed to construct a pontoon bridge with lumber collected from canal-boats and the ruins of wooden houses, and on the morning of the fourteenth his army had crossed to the south side of the river. His rear-guard, however, was attacked by our cavalry and suffered considerable loss. Thus ended the rebel campaign north of the Potomac, from which importal political and military results had been expected. Our own loss in this short campaign had been very severe, namely, two thousand eight hundred and thirty-four killed, thirteen thousand seven hundred and two wounded, and six thousand six hundred and forty-three missing--in all, twenty-three thousand one hundred and eighty-six. We captured three guns, forty-one standards, thirteen thousand six hundred and twenty-one prisoners, and twenty-eight thousand one hundred and seventy-nine small arms. The entire loss of the enemy is not known, but judging from the numbers of his dead and wounded left on the field, it must have been much greater than ours.

After crossing the Potomac, Lee continued his retreat up the valley of the Shenandoah, and through the gaps of the Blue Ridge, till he reached the south bank of the Rapidan, near Orange Court-House, where he took tip a defensive position to dispute the crossing of the river. General Meade continued his flank pursuit by Harper's Ferry, Berlin, and Warrenton, till he reached Culpeper Court-House, where he halted his army, not deeming it prudent to cross the river and attack the enemy, who was now intrenched on the south bank, which completely commanded the approaches on the north side. During this advance, several cavalry skirmishes took place, but without serious loss on either side.

A considerable part of Lee's army was now withdrawn, to reenforce Bragg in the West; but with his diminished numbers he assumed a threatening attitude against General Meade, manoeuvred to turn his flank, and forced him to fall back to the line of Bull Run. Having destroyed the Orange and Alexandria Railroad from the Rapidan to Manassas, the rebels again fell back to their former position near Orange Court-House. During these operations there were several severe engagements between detached forces-but no general battle: October tenth and eleventh, at Robertson's River; twelfth, at Brandy Station; fourteenth, at Bristoe Station; nineteenth, at Buckland Mills; twenty-fourth, at Bealton and the Rappahannock Bridge; and on the seventh of November, on the south bank of that river. Our loss at Bristoe Station was fifty-one killed and three hundred and twenty-nine wounded. We captured five cannon,two colors,and four hundred and fifty prisoners. In the several skirmishes between the ninth and twenty-third of October, the casualties in our cavalry corps were seventy-four killed, three hundred and sixteen wounded, and eight hundred and eighty-five missing. The enemy's loss is not known, but must have been heavy, as we captured many prisoners. Troops sent out from Harper's Ferry, forced him to immediately retreat.

On the seventh of November, Generals Sedgwick and French attacked the enemy at Rappahannock Station and Kelly's Ford, capturing several redoubts, four guns, and eight battle-flags, and about two thousand prisoners. Our loss in killed and wounded was three hundred and seventy. The enemy now retreated to his old position, south of the Rapidan.

The operations of our troops in West-Virginia are referred to here as being intimately connected with those of the army of the Potomac; the force being too small to attempt any important campaign by itself, has acted mostly upon the defensive, in repelling raids and in breaking up guerrilla bands. When Lee's army retreated across the Potomac, in July last, Brigadier-General Kelly concentrated all his available force on the enemy's flank, near Clear Springs, ready to cooperate in the proposed attack by General Meade; they also rendered valuable services in the pursuit after Lee had effected his passage of the river. On the twenty-fourth of July, Colonel Toland attacked the enemy at Wytheville, on the Eastern and Virginia Railroad, capturing two pieces of artillery, seven hundred muskets, and one hundred and twenty-five prisoners. Our loss was seventeen killed and sixty-one wounded; the enemy's killed and wounded reported to be seventy-five.

In August, General Averill attacked a rebel force under General Sam Jones, at Rocky Gap, in Green Brier County, capturing one gun, one hundred and fifty prisoners, and killing and wounding some two hundred. Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, was one hundred and thirty. On the eleventh of September, Imboden attacked a small force of our troops at Morefield, wounding fifteen and capturing about one hundred and fifty. On the fifth of November, General Averill attacked and defeated the enemy near Lewisburgh, capturing three pieces, over one hundred prisoners, and a large number of small arms, wagons, and camp equipage. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded estimated at three hundred.

Our force in North-Carolina, during the past year, has been too small for any important operations against the enemy, and, consequently, has acted mostly on the defensive, holding the important positions previously captured from the rebels. Nevertheless, General Foster has given much annoyance to the enemy, and taken every