afternoon, be ordered to report to General Emory (near Monocacy), commanding Nineteenth Army Corps. I inclose an order for transportation by rail. It is desirable they move without delay.

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

C. H. RAYMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ALEXANDRIA, VA., July 31, 1864-8. 45 p. m.

(Received August 1.)

Colonel J. H. TAYLOR,

Chief of Staff:

I have just learned from a countryman from beyond Occoquan that large re-enforcements are on the way to Early from Richmond. This he learned from a member of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, who had permission to visit his family near Occoquan, the Fourth Virginia Cavalry being part of the force sent to Early.

H. H. WELLS,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Provost-Marshal-General.

(Copy to Lieutenant-General Grant.)

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Near Fort Buffalo, Va., July 31, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel J. H. TAYLOR,

Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that nothing has been heard from the parties sent out in the direction of Aldie and Thoroughfare Gap. I beg to state, in reply to your communication of the 30th instant directing that measures be taken to obtain daily information from the country toward the Rappahannock and well up to the Blue Ridge, and a report every day from those points, that the force here is not sufficient to obtain the information required, except by small parties, as will be seen from the following statement: There are four companies of each of the two regiments now here on detached service, one of the Thirteenth at Fort Ethan Allen, one in Washington, and two at the Lewinsville stockade, one of the Sixteenth in Alexandria, and three at Annandale. The strength of the stockades cannot be diminished, except by ordinary guard and picket details, without endangering their safety. The entire strength of the "present for duty" of the two regiments at this point to-day is 522 men. Of this number 128 are daily required for grand guard and picket duty on our extended line, and 128 more to relieve this guard make 256, leaving 266 men for scouting, taking everything in camp. I consider that a party of less than 300 men cannot, with hope of entire success, go beyond Bull Run Mountains at this time, in consideration of even Mosby's organization, and I believe that recent developments sustain this assertion, and thus would leave none for scouting toward the Rappahannock. I shall endeavor to perform the duty to the best of my ability with the force here.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. M. LAZELLE,

Colonel Sixteenth New York Cavalry, Commanding Cav. Brigadier