In the illustration which follows, President Lincoln outlines a general offensive to the various armies. As commander-in-chief he issues the substance of a letter of instructions in the form of an executive order. In it we shall notice that he does not prescribe any specific movement of troops. Executive Mansion, Washington, Jan. 27, 1862. _President’s General War Order, No. 1._ Ordered: That the 22d day of February, 1862, be the day for a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces. That, especially, The army at and about Fortress Monroe, The army of the Potomac, The army of West Virginia, The army near Mumfordsville, Kentucky, The army and flotilla at Cairo, And a naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, be ready to move on that day. That all other forces, both land and naval, with their respective commanders, obey existing orders for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders when duly given. That the heads of departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with all other commanders and subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for prompt execution of this order. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The following is a more usual form of letter of instructions. This time it goes directly from the commander-in-chief to the general-in-chief: May 24, 1862. From Washington, 24th. Maj.-Gen. G. B. McClellan,— I left General McDowell’s camp at dark last evening. Shield’s command is there, but it is so worn that he cannot move before Monday morning, the twenty-sixth (26th). We have so thinned our line to get troops for other places, that it was broken yesterday at Front Royal, with a probable loss to us of one (1) regiment infantry, two (2) companies cavalry, putting General Banks in some peril. The enemy’s forces under General Anderson, now opposing General McDowell’s advance, have as their line of supply and retreat the road to Richmond.