CUMBERLAND, March 13, 1864.

Brigadier-General AVERELL:

Yes; you may come.

F. SIGEL,

Major-General.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Martinsburg, March 13, 1864.

Brigadier-General AVERELL,

Cumberland:

Scouting parties all in. Everything quiet in front.

LOUIS A. MYERS,

Captain and Provost-Marshal.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Martinsburg, March 13, 1864.

Brigadier-General AVERELL,

Cumberland:

Gaddess, just in from Winchester, reports Gilmor with considerable force at Newtown this a. m.

T. F. LANG,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.

OFFICE ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTER, FOURTH DIVISION,

Martinsburg, W. Va., March 13, 1864.

Brigadier General W. W. AVERELL,

Commanding Fourth Division:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith a synopsis of my inspection of yesterday. I would respectfully call your attention to the following facts:

The horses of the command are in a very bad condition, and this is caused purely by the negligence of the officers, whose duty it should be to care for them. the grooming generally is wretched, and, from the looks of the horses, the feeding and watering is worse. As a whole, the horses of the Fifth West Virginia were in the best condition. Those of Gibson's battalion, with the exception of Captain Smith's company, were in miserable order, and in one company, that of Captain Hagans, the only inference I can draw from the looks of the horses is that they have never been fed, watered, or groomed but in the most loose and reckless manner. The stables of the whole battalion were in the most filthy condition. The horses of Captain Ewing's battery looked well, but there also I noticed a lack of proper grooming. The horses of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania were tolerable, but I noticed a most lamentable ignorance in many officers as regarded the condition of their companies; indeed, throughout the day I found sergeants and even corporals called upon for reports with which captains of companies should at all times have been perfectly conversant.

The horses of the Eighth West Virginia had in many cases but just returned from water or picket duty and were very muddy; however, the same fault of too little grooming was observable. I desire