HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
Harper's Ferry, Va., October 15, 1863.

Colonel SIMPSON,

Ninth Maryland Infantry:

COLONEL: A man is in town to-day who reports that last evening Imboden was at Berryville with something of a force, and that he was sending a force around between Charlestown and the river to cut off your train on the Charlestown road. Will you look into the matter? Colonel Clowdsley was saying the other day that there was some rascality about the house near which Summers was attacked. Will you investigate this and report? General Halleck's alarm seems to have been without foundation so far as we are concerned. You can resume the even tenor of your way at Charlestown tshe same as before.

Very respectfully,

GEO. D. WELLS,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

P. S.-You will keep Captain Means for the present.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
Harper's Ferry, Va., October 15, 1863.

Colonel SIMPSON,

Ninth Maryland Infantry:

COLONEL: The colonel commanding is informed that a force of cavalry is on the from Martinsburg to Winchester and Berryville with orders to send to Charlestown both going and coming any information which they may procure. You will immediately forward to these headquarters any report which may reach you from this scout.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM'L F. WOODS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
Harper's Ferry, Va., October 16, 1863.

Lieutenant S. B. McCULLOCH,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that I am just informed by Colonel Simpson, commanding at Charlestown, that the cavalry scouts sent out in pursuance to orders from these headquarters yesterday p. m., by the Summit Point and river roads, to meet at Ripon, have returned. They report that they neither saw nor heard anything of the enemy except that a portion of Gilmor's battalion, supposed to be about 100, were at Berryville. The infantry scout has returned, being unable to cross the river, having attempted several of the fords and finding them impassable on acoount of the depth of water. They returned via Kabletown, and could gain no information of the presence of the enemy in that vicinity.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. D. WELLS,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.