families from whom reliable information could be gained of his movements, as well as he of ours. During the past week, and in order to obtain information generally, three, and on some days five, parties of from twenty-five to forty men ech have been out from this camp, traveling almost invariably by night, and sending out spies in the daytime, and, on several occasions, have been in the immediate vicinity of a larger force of guerrillas, or where they could readily have captured smaller ones had not their movements been controlled by other intentions. The above is a mere opinion given with a wish to avoid anything like egotism, conceit, or ambitious desire, for I neither aspire to nor court the execution of my theory, but I believe it founded on plain common sense, some little experience in Indian maneuvers, which bears a certain analogy to this warfare, and my own observation since I came here. I would respectfully suggest that if two dismounted and one mounted company are sent to each stockade, as above proposed, that the dismounted companies should be infantry, for the obvious reason of the injury to cavalry companies in such separation of the man from his horse. This would be especially desirable should the Second Massachusetts Regiment not return to this point, since each of these small regiments has already one company detached.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. M. LAZELLE,

Colonel Sixteenth New York Cav. Commanding Brigadier

HARPER'S FERRY, July 19, 1864

(Received 4. 44 p. m.)

His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN:

Having had positive evidence that certain parties in the town of Cumberland, Md., who were known as secession sympathizers, and who had sons in the rebel army, had within the present month communicated with them through our lines, and had sent clothing, money, and important military information to said rebels in arms, and had also received and concealed said rebel soldiers in their houses in Cumberland, I deemed it essential to the public safety to send such offending families outside of our lines. It having been represented to me that Mr. William O. Spring and family were decided and avowed sympathizers with the rebellion, and that he had a son in the rebel army although no positive proof existed of his having had clandestine correspondence with the South, I yet thought that considerations of public safety required his removal, also as the presumption was that clandestine correspondence is carried on in all such cases where practicable.

D. HUNTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA,
Harrisburg, Pa., July 19, 1864.

Major-General HUNTER,

Commanding Dept. of West Virginia, Cumberland, Md.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that a few cavalrymen of this department have been scouting and fighting some in Maryland. More will be ordered along the line near Greencastle, Waynesborough, and Emmitsburg. As this cavalry is mostly new and un-