their use or that of the rebel forces. You will use your cavalry freely, and collect all the information possible about the enemy's movements, and will also hold your force in hand and not permit them to commit depredations upon the citizens.

As General Sickles will send the same amount of force to patuxent as your own, it is desirable that your parties should connect between that and Upper Marlborough. You will exercise great care to prevent your scouts firing on those of Sickles' brigade. You will report to me regularly twice a day, and will make special reports of anything of consequence that occurs.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOS. DICKINSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WHEELING, VA., September 9, 1861.

THOMAS A. SCOTT:

We are suffering greatly for the want of arms. There are 4,000 musket, at Bellaire, in charge of Crispin. They would answer for our Home Guards, and are useless for any other service. Can't you let us have them? I am informed by the field officer in the Second Virginia Regiment that out of 250 altered muskets in that regiment 50 of them are useless. Can they not be furnished with a good gun immediately?

F. H. PEIRPOINT,

Governor.

UPPER MARLBOROUGH, MD., September 10, 1861.

Brigadier General JOSEPH HOOKER:

SIR: In accordance with orders received from your headquarters* we proceeded from Bladensburg to this place, arriving here at 6.30 p. m., and are now encamped in the wood upon the outskirts of the village. There are also here five companies of Sickles' brigade, under command of the lieutenant-colonel. They are located in the village, in the rear of the court-house.

From my own convictions, upon investigation, and from consultation with Lieutenant-Colonel Potter, of the other detachment, I am satisfied that no companies of rebel troops are in this vicinity or have been for some time. There is no doubt but that troops have been raised here for the rebel army, and that the sympathies of the people are with the Confederates. The commanding officer of the Sickles detachment has sent out scouting parties in the direction of Alexandria Ferry and Lower Marlborough, and has seen nothing to warrant the belief that any bodies of armed men exist in this country, if at all on this side the river.

The cavalry that was to join us has not arrived, and there are but 9 attached to the Sickles detachment. I await your further instructions by return of messenger.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBERT COWDIN,

Colonel, Commanding First Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers.

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*Dickinson to Cowdin, September 8, p. 589.

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