line from Charleston and Gauley Bridge to Lewisburg is much shorter-only 60 miles-and troops can be brought to those two points (Charleston and Gauley Bridge) by railroad and water very quickly and without difficulty.

A column advancing by Beverly and coming to a stand-still will be a lost power, as it can neither assist us in the Shenandoah nor co-operate well with General Crook. I would therefore respectfully suggest, although with some reluctance, as I am not acquainted with your plans, to re-enforce General Crook with 2,000 or 3,000 good infantry, besides Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry, with two or three batteries and at least 1,000 cavalry available at present, besides that ordered to him. This would enable General Crook to move very soon to attain the main object without depending on the troops from Webster. A small corps of observation composed of good infantry, with some good cavalry, could advance from Beverly toward Huntersville to draw the attention of the enemy to this direction and to hold connection with the forces in the Kanawha. Meanwhile the rest of our troops could assembled between Harper's Ferry and Cumberland, to cover this section of the country and the railroad and to prepare for a movement through the Shenandoah Valley, where the road is good. There is no doubt that the enemy is aware of our intended concentration of a large force at Beverly, because, having been informed by General Ord to be there on the 8th, I made my arrangements accordingly and moved some of the troops and stores to that point. In modifying the programme this premature movement to Beverly would be a feint to the enemy and no harm to us. I, however, wait for your decision, and hope you will pardon me for expressing my opinion frankly to you.

FRANZ SIGEL,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON CITY, April 12, 1864-1. 30 p. m.

Major-General SIGEL,

Cumberland, Md.:

Your letter received. Will not a week or ten days' good weather make the programme laid out in my previous instructions practicable? The route you now suggest, that is, by sending the whole force to Gauley Bridge to start, was my idea exactly, simply consulting the map, without any personal knowledge of the country to be traversed. Consultation, however, with officers who had been in the country induced me to give the instructions I did. The late rain has so far set back offensive operations that we can change plan, if found necessary, any time in the next ten days.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

CUMBERLAND, MD., April 12, 1864-7 p. m.

(Received 7. 45 p. m.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Washington, D. C.:

Your dispatch of to-day is received. I will continue in making all dispositions necessary to carry out your programme. According to it there would be only three regiments of infantry left, besides the