HDQRS. SECOND CAV. DIV., DEPT., OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Loup Creek, June 29, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel CHARLES G. HALPINE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Dept. of West Virginia:

COLONEL; I have the honor to recommend the following changes in the organization of the cavalry of this department in order to render it efficient. The cavalry at present consists of the following regiments, viz: First West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Capehart, Loup Creek; Second West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Powell, Charleston; Third West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Strother, scattered; Fifth West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Latham, Charleston; Sixth West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Thompson, Martinsburg; Seventh West Virginia Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Oley, Loup Creek; Twelfth Pennsylvania Veteran Cavalry, Colonel Pierce, Martinsburg; Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Schoonmaker, Loup Creek; Twentieth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Wynkoop, Loup Creek; Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry,

Colonel Higgins, Martinsburg; First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry, Colonel McReynolds, Loup Creek; First New York (Veteran) Cavalry, Colonel Taylor, Martinsburg; Fifteenth New York Cavalry, Colonel Richardson, Loup Creek; Twenty-first New York Cavalry, Colonel Tibbits, Loup Creek; Second Maryland Cavalry, Colonel Cole, Loup Creek; Eighth Ohio Cavalry, Colonel Moore, Beverly; Thirty-fourth Ohio Mounted Infantry Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw, Loup Creek.

I recommend that the First, Second, Third, and Seventh West Virginia Cavalry be mounted entirely, and that the veterans and recruits of the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry, amounting to about 200 men be transferred with all the horses and sufficient arms and equipments to the Seventh West Virginia Cavalry, their arms being the same. Let surplus officers of the Fifth be mustered out. Both regiments are now in the Kanawha Valley. Let the Seventh at once organize and equip at Charleston. Let the Sixth West Virginia Cavalry be dismounted, turn its arms and equipments over to Lieutenant North, ordnance officer, and horses to the Seventh West Virginia Cavalry. When dismounted, let it be sent to Beverly, armed as infantry, as the regiment is familiar with that country. Let the Thirty-fourth Ohio Mounted Infantry be dismounted, turning its horses and equipments over to the Second West Virginia Cavalry with sabers. After being dismounted let it be stationed at Charleston. Let the Twelfth, Twentieth, and Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry be dismounted turning over horses and equipments to the Fourteenth with such arms as may be needed by the latter regiment. After being dismounted, let them be sent to Charleston.

Let the Fifteenth New York be dismounted turning over horses and equipments to the First New York (Lincoln). At Charleston, W. Va., there would be Thirty-fourth Ohio, Mounted Infantry, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Twentieth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Seventh West Virginia Cavalry (temporarily). Let them be placed under the command of Brigadier-General Duffie, who should receive authority and instructions to mount them as rapidly as possible, in the order of merit, according to instructions and discipline. One battery might also be left at Charleston. The First, Second,