County, W. Va., reported to me near 11 at night that the servants of Mr. Arnold reported to him (the citizen) that there were thirty or forty rebels in Troy. Immediately after receiving information of said report I directed a detail of a sergeant and ten men to patrol the road between Weston and Troy, in order to ascertain/ the facts in the case, giving the sergeant in charge orders to patrol as far as Troy; if not meeting with the enemy, to return, which he did and reported all untrue. This was done on my own responsibility without knowing of anything stated in the letter of Captain Wiant.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. C. ALLEN,

Captain, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

GLENVILLE, W. VA., March 20, 1865.

Colonel WILKINSON:

DEAR SIR: On Saturday, the 18th instant, there was a squad of cavalry came from Weston to within five miles of this place, and then returned to Weston without coming as far as this place. At the same time there were two squads of rebels five miles from here, on the south side of the river. If they had come on, with what men I had we could have crossed the river, and, if nothing else, might have driven them out of the country. I [suppose] those cavalry met some rebel citizens before reaching here, and they induced them to retreat by making false statements. There are still several bands of these rebel thieves roaming over this country that ought to be broken up and the parties exterminated, and I do not know of any other way to do it but to order a company of infantry here to assist my company is scouting the country south of the Kanawha River and kill as many of them as possible.

Yours, respectfully,

W. T. WIANT,

Captain, Commanding Independent Company.

CLARKSBURG, March 27, 1865.

Colonel CHARLES H. DAY,

Commanding, Bulltown:

Captain W. T. Wiant, State Scouts, writes as follows from Glenville:

Citizens coming in from the neighborhood of Doctor Cutlipp's, on Cedar Creek, in Braxton County, which is about eighteen miles southwest of Bulltown, state that they saw there over 100 rebel soldiers, and others say that there are over 200 of them, with one howitzer. How much truth I cannot say.

You will at once send a sufficient force, under reliable officers, to ascertain the truthfulness of these reports, and with instructions to scouts the country thoroughly and kill or capture as many of the enemy as possible.

By order of Colonel N. Wilkinson:

JAS. P. WILKINSON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, March 28, 1865. (Received 7.35 p. m.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

The assignment of Hancock to the Middle Division and the Department of West Virginia is only temporary during Sheridan's absence,