SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. FIRST CAV. DIV., DEPT. OF W. VA., Numbers 3.
Sweet Springs, Va. June 24, 1864.

I. The First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry is hereby transferred from the First Brigade to the Second Brigade, and will report to Colonel John E. Wynkoop, commanding, for duty without delay.

II. Company M, Fifteenth New York Cavalry, is hereby detached from its regiment for duty at these headquarters. They will report immediately.

By command of Brigadier General A. N. Duffie:

E. W. CLARK, JR.,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

CLARKSBURG, June 24, 1864.

Brigadier General B. F. KELLEY,

Cumberland:

The following just received from Beverly:

Scouts just in who were sent to General Hunter and have been out seven days; went to Shenandoah, not south of Staunton pike. They report 1,500 rebels in Calf Pasture Valley and 3,500 m Buffalo Gap. Scouts went as far west as Monterey. General Hunter is reported as being between Staunton and Lynchburg, with the forces of Pickett, Breckinridge, and other commands around him. Heavy cannonading has been heard in his direction for six days by the scouts. The country is so closely guarded that it is impossible to get through. The information was gained from a know Union man of Augusta County.

H. W. HUNTER,

Major,

N. WILKINSON,

Colonel.

(Copy forwarded by General Sigel to Adjutant-General U. S. Army, June 25, 1864.)

JANELEW, LEWIS COUNTY, June 24, 1864

Colonel N. WILKINSON:

SIR: I have now returned from a twelve days' scout in the counties of Lewis, Braxton, and Nicholas, and find that in the county of Nicholas Lieutenant Long, of Company I, Seventeenth Virginia (rebel) Cavalry is there with from forty-five to fifty men, without horses and mostly without arms, and those armed are only with revolvers. Captain Tuning, rebel, in Braxton has eighteen men in same condition. Lieutenant Skinner, of Captain Waldo's command, has nine, and another squad of fifteen, commander not known, besides many stragglers. Our State guards are of little use, and our country is in great danger of being robbed and plundered of all our horses and property. Now, I propose for your consideration a plan that I think best: Give me fifteen or twenty men, such as I may select from the Tenth Virginia Regiment, Captain Rollyson's and Captain Wilkinson's State guards, and give me a reasonable compensation, and I will go at once and rid the country of them. There are men anxious to go with me. I would make my headquarters at Janelew, and make stolen marches upon them that would exterminate them. There should be one company placed at Weston or Bulltown to assist me, and that is enough. It is better there than