your judgment as to placing obstructions over other roads. A force of men willing and ready to defend their homes should be immediately organized to hold the passes and furnish early information of the movements of the enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. N. COUCH,

Major-General, Commanding.

CIRCULAR.] HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA,

Pittsburg, Pa., August 4, 1864.

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES OF PENNSYLVANIA:

Your situation in such that a raid by the enemy is not impossible at any time during the summer and coming fall. I, therefore, call upon you to put your rifles and shotguns in good order, also supplying yourselves with plenty of ammunition. Your corn-fields, mountains, forests, thickets, buildings, &c., furnish favorable places for cover and at the same time enable you to kill the marauders, recollecting if they come it is to plunder, destroy, and burn your property.

D. N. COUCH,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

MONOCACY, MD., August 5, 1864-8 p. m.

(Received 11 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

Washington, D. C.:

I have ordered to concentration of all available force under General Hunter to be concentrated at once at Harper's Ferry and to follow the enemy promptly wherever he may go. If it is found, as I suspect, nothing but a small raiding force is north of the Potomac, then he is to move up the valley after the main force, detaching sufficient to attend to that left north of him by the enemy. Unless otherwise ordered, send all the cavalry yet to arrive as fast as brigades are complete, by Leesburg and the south side of the Potomac to reach the main army.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

MONOCACY, August 5, 1864-11.30 p. m.

(Received 12.40 a. m. 6th.)

Major-General HALLECK,

Washington. D. C.:

Send Sheridan by morning train to Harper's Ferry, calling here on his way to see if General Hunter has left. Give him orders to take general command of all the troops in the field within the division. General Hunter will turn over to him my letter of instructions.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.