ALEXANDRIA, January 21, 1864.

Colonel TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: My men have scouted as usual. They report a rumor that White's cavalry was advancing on the pickets at Vienna. The report could not be traced to any reliable source. Last night a small party of guerrillas carried off a number of horses from the vicinity of Accotink. They were pursued by the home guards, but succeeded in escaping.

H. H. WELLS,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Provost-Marshal-General.

HDQRS. 3rd Brigadier, 1ST DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Martinsburg, W. Va., January 21, 1864.

Captain WILLIAM M. BOONE,

Asst. Adjt. General, First Div., Dept. of West Virginia:

In obedience to orders, I sent a party of Winchester for the purpose of arresting the acting mayor and one of the most prominent citizens of that place, to be held as hostages for Mr. Dooly. The officer in command of the party reports that Dr. Fuller, the acting mayor, could not be found. Mr. Robert Conrad, the person selected as the other hostage, represented his state of health and inability to ride on horseback as an excuse for not immediately complying with the order, and sent a written parole holding himself bound to answer the call of the U. S. authorities whenever made. To-day Mr. Ginn, a Union man of high standing, from Winchester, brought me the accompanying letters* from Winchester, and represent that to bring these men to this place would probably render it unsafe for the Union citizens of Winchester to remain there, but thinks that if permitted to remain at home on parole they will succeed in returning Dooly. He says they are already very much alarmed and excited by the occurrence.

Nevertheless, I shall of course obey your original order and send a party to make the arrest, unless I receive some discretionary order to-morrow.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. S. RODGERS,

Colonel, Commanding.

HDQRS. 3rd Brigadier, 1ST DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Martinsburg, W. Va., January 21, 1864.

Dr. W. M. FULLER,

Acting Mayor of Winchester:

SIR: William Dooly, the citizen arrested by the party of soldiers from General Early's command, was not in any way employed by the U. S. authorities, nor can I discover that he has ever been. The arrest of a private citizen for holding loyal sentiments to the Government of the United States will certainly be punished by retaliation, and so far as I am authorized I shall feel it my duty to select the most worthy and influential citizens whose sentiments may be sup-

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*Not found.

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