War Diary and Letters of Stephen Minot Weld.

July 24. — The general sent Lieutenant Carson out to Waterloo with 20 cavalrymen, and five companies of infantry as a support. He saw nothing of the enemy except a straggler, whom he captured and sent in. He went a mile across the river, and then returned. He heard heavy firing towards Culpeper, proceeding from our cavalry, who crossed above here. In the evening Mrs. Wallach and her daughter came in from Culpeper. They said that when they left Culpeper there were no troops there. The firing was from our cavalry fighting infantry, near Annisville. General Ingalls arrived here this evening, and I obtained a paper from one of his party, the first I have seen for a week. I took a walk through the town during the afternoon. Saw some pretty girls, who would not even glance at us, however. The town is quite a pretty one, and has some neat cottages in it. Some of them reminded me very much of the houses on the Beverly shore. The population of Warrenton before the war was 2000. At present it cannot be over 600, and these mostly women and children. Almost all the families here are in mourning, but almost invariably, so I am told, give as the reason for wearing black, that some aged relative has died. I suppose they think that the Yankees would be glad to know of any one being killed in battle, and so refuse to tell.