HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION,
April 22, 1864.

Colonel J. IRVIN GREGG,

Commanding Second Brigade:

COLONEL: The general commanding directs that you send to-day, and each day hereafter until further orders, a scouting party to Warrenton. These parties should not approach Warrenton by the main road, but by the right or left of it, so as to be well concealed. The scouting parties must be sufficiently strong to overcome any force which Mosby would probably collect at Warrenton. The instructions to be given the officer commanding such parties will be of such character as to restrain all plundering and marauding. The very greatest care will be taken to prevent the transmission of letters to and from citizens of Warrenton to parties within our lines through the scouting parties. Any officer commanding such a party and permitting any letters or other correspondence to be transmitted through his party will at once be arrested and charges preferred against him with view to his dismissal.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. C. WEIR,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

CUMBERLAND, MD., April 22, 1864-9.30 p. m.

(Received 11.05 p. m.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT:

Colonel Taylor, commanding cavalry force at Martinsburg, telegraphs the following:

Scouts from up the Shenandoah report a large force concentrating near Front Royal. No force this side of the river.

I believe that there is some truth in this statement, as refugees have arrived at Harper's Ferry who say that troops of the enemy were concentrating at Luray, and that Longstreet had arrived at Charlottesville. Former reports say that Rosser's brigade of cavalry, about 2,000 strong, was at Lutay. It may be his troops who have moved to Front Royal. We have now five regiments of infantry at Martinsburg, with one battery and 700 cavalry. Two hundred cavalry and two batteries are on their way to that place. The troops for General Crook have commenced embarking on transports at Parkersburg this morning.

F. SIGEL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Harper's Ferry, W. Va., April 22, 1864.

Captain T. MELVIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Dept. of West Virginia:

I have information that Lieutenant Keyes' Independent Virginia Rangers have returned from a scout to Wheatland, Waterford, and Lovettsville, and report no rebels, and all quiet in that portion of Loudoun County. The Sixth Michigan Cavalry are still at Bolivar Heights, awaiting orders for the Potomac army.

MAX WEBER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.