TH.--Gen. Pendleton has given McClellan a scare, and might have
hurt him if he had fired lower. He planted a number of batteries
(concealed) on the south side of the river, just opposite the enemy's
camp. The river was filled with gun-boats and transports. At a signal,
all the guns were fired, at short range, too, for some minutes with
great rapidity, and then the batteries were withdrawn. I happened to be
awake, and could not conjecture what the rumpus meant. But we fired too
high in the dark, and did but little execution. Our shells fell beyond
the enemy's camp on the opposite side of the river. We lost a few men,
by accident, mostly. But hereafter in "each bush they fear an officer."

JULY 16TH.--Gen. Lee is hurrying up reinforcements from the South, old
regiments and conscripts, and pays very little attention to McClellan on
the Peninsula, knowing no further enterprises will be attempted by the
enemy in that quarter for some time to come.

JULY 17TH.--The people are too jubilant, I fear, over our recent
successes near the city. A great many _skulkers_ from the army are seen
daily in the streets, and it is said there are 3000 men here subject to
conscript duty, who have not been enrolled. The business of purchasing
substitutes is prevailing alarmingly.

JULY 18TH.--To-day several ladies applied in person to the Secretary of
War for passports to Norfolk and Baltimore, and he sent me written
orders to grant them. They next applied to Gen. Winder to go with the
flag of truce, exhibiting their passports. He repudiated them, however,
and sent the ladies back to me, saying he wanted something with the
Secretary's signature, showing me to be authorized to sign them. I wrote
such a note as I supposed he wanted, and the Secretary signed it as
follows:

"RICHMOND, July 18th, 1862.

"BRIG.-GEN. J. H. WINDER.

"SIR:--The passports issued by J. B. Jones from this Department to
pass the lines of the Confederate armies, and the lines of the
Confederate States, are granted by my direction, evidences of which
are on file in the Passport Office.

"Respectfully,

"G. W. RANDOLPH,

"_Secretary of War_."

This, one of the ladies delivered to him. I hope I am now done with Gen.
Winder and his "Plug Ugly" dynasty.

JULY 19TH.--This morning early, while congratulating myself on the
evidence of some firmness and independence in the new Secretary, I
received the following note: