HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,
April 12, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac:

Instructions have just been sent to General Torbert, commanding First Cavalry Division, to capture, if possible, the party of the enemy reported encamped on Castle Mountain. He has been directed not to make the attempt until there is an unquestionable certainty of crossing Hazel River without great difficulty. He has officers and men in his division who are familiar with the country.

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

CUMBERLAND, MD., April 12, 1864.

(Received at 3. 25 a. m.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

General-in-Chief:

Colonel Moor, commanding at Beverly, reports on inquiries made by me in regard to the roads north and south of Beverly:

The road from Baker to Beverly is for about one-half (or 25 miles) one continued canal of mud, 3 and 4 feet deep, with pointed rocks at the bottom. Six horses are required, to draw 800 pounds, making only one trip in eight days. From what I learn of farmers and old road repairers it will require at least two weeks' very fair weather and 2,000 hands to bring the road into condition for speedy transportation. The road from Beverly south to Huntersville, especially through the Mingo Flats, is reported as to beggar description, repairs having been neglected since 1861. The rushing waters of the mountain washed large portions of it entirely away. On Staunton pike, across Cheat Mountain and Greenbrier Mountain, is probably the best, as less traveling was done on it, as far at least as Greenbrier River, but cannot at present be examined. The average depth of snow on the mountain is 4 feet, and in the passes and roads deeper yet.

I must add that Colonel Moor is a very reliable and experienced officer, who has been in West Virginia since 1861, and was with Averell last winter.

General J. C. Sullivan telegraphs from Webster that the road to Beverly is impassable for artillery.

General Crook telegraphs from Charleston:

Unless I can get the horses soon to mount my men with they will be too late for this expedition. It will require all the troops that have been promised me to be effective men to make my part of the expedition successful, and mine is the important part. It is essential that both my raw men and horses be trained a little before commencing this difficult move. When will the Eighth Ohio Cavalry be here?

Everything is done to get the horses for Generals Crook and Averell, but at least one-third of our cavalry is dismounted and we cannot buy as many horses and as fast as we want them.

I ask for information at Washington in regard to the Eighth Ohio Cavalry, which, as I learn from Cavalry Bureau, has neither horses nor arms, nor has a requisition been made before.

The Twentieth Pennsylvania Cavalry arrived here with 1,000 men, but only 150 horses and no arms except sabers. From what I see and could learn it seems to me that it would be a very difficult task to march a column from Webster to Lewisburg, a distance of 147 miles, with artillery and ammunition and provisions for ten days, even if the weather should be very good during the next two weeks. The