-day.

"B. BRAGG, _General_.

"COL. J. B. SALE, _Mil. Sec._"

Nevertheless, the clerks are ordered out this afternoon at five, to
march to Chaffin's Farm.

I met Mr. Benjamin as I was passing to the office of the Secretary of
War with Gen. Bragg's dispatch, and showed it him. After reading it
carefully, he said, "That's very good."

Gen. Lee may be on the eve of attacking Grant, or Grant him, or we may
be reinforcing Early, as the solution of the marching of the clerks. No
doubt one of Grant's corps is on this side of the river, but I think
that is to guard the river against our batteries.

During my conversation with Mr. Benjamin, I hoped that in two months the
Federal armies would be called to Washington for the defense of the
capital. He did not express any such belief. He was at the department
procuring passports from Judge Campbell, for a young Jew to pass the
lines into the United States.

JULY 28TH.--Cloudy, but no rain.

Nothing new from Georgia or Petersburg. But a dispatch from Gen. Ewell,
received to-day at half past two P.M., orders the local troops (they did
not march yesterday) or other disposable forces to occupy the Darby
Town, New Bridge, and Williamsburg roads, for the enemy's cavalry were
working round to our left. This was dated "27" when, no doubt, it should
be 28th. The Secretary was over at the President's office, whither I
sent the dispatch. I suppose the troops were ordered out, provided there
was a mistake in the _date_. All dispatches should have the _day_
written out in full as well as the day of the month, for the salvation
of a city might depend on it.

JULY 29TH.--Clear and warm.

The local troops did not march until this morning, and no one supposes
Richmond is seriously menaced by Grant. I believe the object of the
demonstration on the part of the enemy is to draw our forces away from
the vicinity of Washington.

The Chief of the Signal Corps reports, on information supposed by him
to be reliable, that Gen. Early's captures in Maryland were worth
$12,000,000--consisting of some 10,000 horses, 10,000 cattle, 7000 hogs,
4000 sheep, 200,000 barrels of flour, and a large amount of bacon, etc.
Also, that he got between 2000 and 3000 recruits. All this doubtful.

Mr. G. W. Lamar, Augusta, Ga., writes the Secretary of War that he
knows, personally, over one hundred men who have _bought_ exemptions,
and that they are bought and sold every day at a certain price. Now will