forward Captain Hart's report as soon as received. The fight was a severe one. Hart's command was only saved by the timely arrival of Major Work with re-enforcements and a mountain howitzer. B. F. KELLEY, Brigadier-General. Brig. Gen. MAX WEBER, Harper's Ferry : MARTINSBURG, June 8, 1864. It is the intention of the general commanding to send an expedition of cavalry toward Strasburg and Mount Jackson. The whole must be about 300, under a good officer, of which he desires your command. to furnish 250, and the officer to be placed in charge, Please report what officer and cavalry you can send. They are to leave to-morrow p. m. Further orders will be sent on receipt of your report. Maj. T. A. MEYSENBURG, 91 . T. A. MEYSENBURG, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS, Harper's Ferry, June 8, 1864. Assistant Adjutant-General, Martinsburg: I can furnish only 150 of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. Major Bell, of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, will command them. I have a scouting party out in Loudoun, sixty men of the Sixth West Virginia Cavalry. They went out this afternoon. The remainder of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry have horses, but have no sabers or revolvers. MAX WEBER, HEADQUARTERS, Maj. T. A. MEYSENBURG, Harper's Ferry, June 8, 1864. Assistant Adjutant-General, Martinsburg: My scouts have been to Berryville. They did not meet any considerable force, but only small parties of guerrillas. The scouts took 2 rebel prisoners from Twelfth Virginia. MAX WEBER, MARTINSBURG, June 8, 1864. Captain BURLEIGH, Assistant Adjutant-General: I have information direct from Mosby's camp that yesterday he was organizing, at Upperville, his men for a raid on Harper's Ferry or Martinsburg. It may be as well to be on the alert. WM. P. MAULSBY, HEADQUARTERS, Capt. D. M. KEYES, Harper's Ferry, June 8, 1864. Independent Loudoun (Virginia) Rangers, Point of Rocks: Hereafter a scouting party will be sent from this point into Loudoun County nearly every day. I will send you a telegram when each scouting party goes out, and notify you of the direction they take. As often as possible you will take out your command and act together with the party. To-morrow morning a party will go into Loudoun from this point, and encamp to-morrow night near Hillsborough. By order of Brig. Gen. Max Weber: S. F. ADAMS, First Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp. Capt. DANIEL M. KEYES, HEADQUARTERS, Harper's Ferry, June 8, 1864. Loudoun (Virginia) Rangers, Point of Rocks: The scouting party will not go into Loudoun to-morrow, the 9th instant, as you were notified this afternoon. By order of Brig. Gen. Max Weber: S. F. ADAMS, First Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp. Col. J. A. MULLIGAN, New Creek: CUMBERLAND, June 8, 1864. You will assume command of all the troops between Sleepy Creek and Piedmont. Headquarters for the present at New Creek. B. F. KELLEY, Col. T. M. HARRIS, Beverly: CUMBERLAND, June 8, 1864. By order of Major-General Sigel, you will send the detachment of the Twenty-first New York Cavalry to Martinsburg. B. F. KELLEY, HDQRS. 141ST REGIMENT OHIO NATIONAL GUARD, Maj. JOHN S. WITCHER, Barboursville, W.. Va., June 8, 1864. Comdg. Detachment, Hurricane Bridge, W. Va: DEAR SIR: I this morning received a communication from you, dated the 2d instant, stating that you expected to visit this point soon. I would be glad to meet you, and should have called on you 39 R R VOL XXXVII, PT I ere this, but had no means of conveyance that I thought desirable. to use. My facilities for conveying information to you are not good, having no horses subject to order, except such as are in daily use in supplying the command with subsistence The reports are frequently brought to these headquarters that armed organized forces are in this vicinity 300 or 400 strong. These reports are presented here by men whose names are given, and as Union men upon whom I can rely. I, however, have estimated them at what I considered them worth, taking the necessary precaution to prevent surprise. This morning I have information to the effect that three or four companies of rebels, of Clawhammer's [V. A. Witcher's] command, were assembling in the vicinity of Beach Fork for the purpose of making a dash on Guyandotte. This is probably a sensational report, as usual, yet the citizens of Guyandotte and surrounding country who claim to be Union men are very much alarmed. Men who pretend to be Union men, and those who live in the vicinity of these rebel organizations, say their plan of attack is to try Guyandotte, drawing off some of the force from this point, and then surprise this point. I do not put much confidence in any of these reports, and yet, being in a neighborhood where the enemy has been troublesome, I deem it proper to keep a very close and rigid watch. I think it important that we have an understanding as to a plan of operation, and that we thoroughly scout these neighborhoods reported to be full of these murderers, who lurk around in the bushes seeking the lives of our men. I therefore request that you call at my headquarters in Barboursville as soon as you can make it convenient. My attention is necessary at Guyandotte to-day, or I would have proposed to have met you at Mud Bridge. Colonel Brown informed me that it was not safe to travel through this country alone, and not having anything but infantry, and they having so much duty to perform since we landed here, I could not use them for that purpose. I desire, however, inasmuch as we are to co-operate, that we have an interview, and will feel much obliged to you if you will call at these headquarters as soon as your business will permit. I am, major, very respectfully, yours, A. D. JAYNES, Colonel, Comdg. 141st Regiment Ohio National Guard. HEADQUARTERS SIXTH WEST VIRGINIA CAVALRY, Lieut. Col. F. W. THOMPSON, Commanding Sixth West Virginia Cavalry: SIR: I have the honor to report that agreeably to orders I started yesterday at 3 a. m. in command of 83 select men, of whom 38 were from the Sixth West Virginia Cavalry, 25 from Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and 20 from First New York Veterans. I adopted the following order of march: First. F. A. Warthen, Company D, of your regiment, dressed in full Confederate uniform, as scout, followed by an advance of eight men familiar with the country. Second. The detachment in the order in which I have stated them. Third. Rear guard of one corporal and three men. I proceeded up the Berryville turnpike road, avoiding Charlestown by passing around to the left, then following the turnpike for about twelve miles. From this place, finding myself ahead of time, I turned my command off the turnpike by a road leading to the Martinsburg turnpike road for about one-half mile, where I rested for about two. hours. I then resumed the march to the point indicated on map furnished me by Colonel Pierce, where, turning to the left, I followed a country road, which soon took me to the houses of Mr. Castleman and his near neighbor, Mr. De Rue, whose houses I approached unobserved and promptly surrounded at 11 a. m. The information relative to the wedding to come off at Mr. De Rue's was incorrect. The young lady whom report made the bride of the occasion had gone to the blacksmith's shop at Myerstown, riding, as I was credibly informed, "an old black horse for the purpose of getting him shod to visit this place to-day," and from the uncomely appearance of her parents, the buildings, and their surroundings, I think Miss Castleman will never be the bride of a Confederate officer connected with the proud Early family, until their pride shall have been subdued by the whipping which awaits them and all other Southern traitors. Feeling somewhat foiled, and desiring to accomplish some good before I returned, I concluded to advance to Snicker's Ferry, five miles beyond, where I learned that a small party had crossed the evening before en route for Lee's army. I returned by an obscure road, using all the skill I could command in ferreting out rebel hiding places, frequently stopping my command to make excursions to the flanks with my scouts and advance party. When within two miles of Kabletown, I succeeded in capturing 2 rebel soldiers at the house of Henry Castleman, respectively of the names of William Gibson and G. E. Cordell, Company B, Twelfth Virginia (rebel) Cavalry. I also captured 2 serviceable horses and equipments, which I shall turn over for the use of the cavalry service to some officer competent to receipt for the same. These young men are intelligent; were enlisted at Charlestown, and are connected with prominent rebel families of that place. During the day I made diligent inquiry of the strength and position of Mosby's command. I was not able to get very definite information, but from all I heard I am disposed to think he is in the vicinity of Berry's Ferry with about eighty men, and would respectfully suggest that by sending a party, say, of 100 men, properly officered, directly up the Shenandoah to some point beyond Berry's Ferry, and another similar party to the right of the Winchester railroad, equally as high up the Valley, the two parties, by the use of scouts and conjoint action ought to, as they return, capture Mosby and the greater part of his command. I fear our scouting parties are too much in the habit of following the public roads and going to villages instead of selecting the most obscure routes and camping concealed in groves. I would suggest that scouts be instructed to obtain information from children and servants instead of adult white members of families. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CIRCULAR.] J. H. SHUTTLEWORTH, First Lieutenant and Acting Adjutant. HEADQUARTERS DE RUSSY'S DIVISION, In view of the possibility of demonstrations on the part of the rebel cavalry, having for their object a diversion in front of the lines defending the capital, and perhaps contemplating an attack, with the hope of surprise, it becomes the duty of all officers, especially of the post commanders, to resort to unusual vigilance to prevent the success of the enemy in any such endeavor. The picket will, therefore, be required to perform their duties most strictly. One company of infantry will bivouac in each of the forts at night, except such as are garrisoned by one company only, and in these the guards will be strengthened. The gates will habitually be kept closed after retreat and all other precautions taken. Among these the garrisons will be required to be under arms and in their forts at 3 a. m., the artillery at the guns, and they will so remain until sunrise, when the sentinels on the parapets can overlook and clearly see the country in front of them. In case of an alarm, there must be no confusion, each company, or portion of company, should have its station designated and understood before night-fall. The limbers of light artillery pieces in the forts will at once be filled, and at least four extra rounds of canister per gun for the light guns will be placed on hand. The equipments for the guns will be left with them after retreat until morning. At retreat each night the garrison will be told off into detachments for the guns and will be required to return to these stations in case of alarm at night. The supernumeraries will defend the approaches with musketry, taking position on the banquettes between the guns. By command of Brigadier-General De Russy: THOS. THOMPSON, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA, Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that in consequence of a wound received while gallantly leading his division, in the recent battle of the 5th instant, at Piedmont, I have relieved Maj. Gen. Julius Stahel from service with forces in the field, and have ordered him to Martinsburg and Harper's Ferry for the purpose of collecting and organizing all troops that can be spared from the defense of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and returning to this army in charge of the important train about which I have had the honor to telegraph to you in cipher. I beg that if you can aid General Stahel to collect the detachments belonging to this command from the Dismounted Camp, in Pleasant Valley, Md., you will do so; and that you will be kind enough to forward his views under the instructions he has received. It is but justice to Major-General Stahel to state that in the recent engagement he displayed excellent qualities of coolness and gallantry, and that for the final happy result the country is much indebted to his services. I part with General Stahel with regret, and trust most respectfully that there will be no delay in forwarding the train with which, and the troops collected at Martinsburg, Harper's Ferry, from the Kanawha and Pl asant Valley (if possible), he is to return. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant. D. HUNTER, |