HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, July 18, 1863.

Major WILLIAM GIBBONEY,

Assistant Quartermaster, Wytheville:

Reliable information received that the enemy, 1, 300 strong, encamped last night at Charles Taylor's farm, 5 or 6 miles from Jeffersonville, after having captured [J. E.] Stollings' company at Tug Ridge. Send couriers to all persons having Government cattle or horses in Tazewell, to order them to remove them this side of the railroad. I have no troops at hand to send to Wytheville, but if the citizens will turn out as they should do, they can check so small a force as the enemy has in the mountain passes leading from Tazewell to Wytheville.

Generals Williams and Preston will look out for the salt-works. Urge the citizens to turn out and defend their homes. Give them anything you have or can procure to arm them.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, July 18, 1863.

Mayor of Lynchburg, Va.:

Thirteen hundred of the enemy's cavalry were reported this morning between Tazewell Court-House and Wytheville. They are on a large raid on this road. I have sent all the troops I had on the road to General Lee. If there are any available volunteer companies in Lynchburg, please send them here at once. By so doing we may not only save this line of road, but intercept and capture the raiders. The citizens about here are turning out well. If any of your people can come here, Mr. [Thomas] Dodamead will soon be sending a train; they can come on that. If Captain or Major or Dr. [H.] Grey Latham is about Lynchburg, present my regards to him, and ask, if he has any men at his disposal, to bring them of here at once.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

COMMANDANT'S OFFICE,

Drewry's Bluff, Va., July 18, 1863.

Major General ARNOLD ELZEY,

Commanding Defenses of Richmond:

GENERAL: From the best information I can get, I think the transports have no troops on board, or, if any, very few. The object of the enemy seems to be the stealing of negroes principally. As yet they have not fired upon any house, or destroyed any property, but lie in the river, firing signal guns for the negroes to come down to them. I have the idea from what I can gather that it is a negro stealing expedition. There is, in my opinion, no fear of the enemy coming here, and I doubt if they will venture above Turkey Island. They are well acquainted with the river so far, as the gunboats were up as high as Turkey Island to save McClellan's army, but above the island they know very little about the river, which becomes more narrow and winding, and the cliffs more numerous. I think if we