send a force from here to drive them down to you. Give this your personal attention. Take twenty men from Monocacy. Permit no delay, and report, when you are ready to start. The men must be on the ground between this and morning. The party is small, but use all your force. Send detachment to Rockville, to guard that road. Arrest everyone that can't give satisfactory account of themselves.

At same time I issued an order to Smith's Maryland Cavalry, who had just returned to camp from a three days' scout, as follows:

Lieutenant Vincent, commanding Smith's Company, Independent Maryland Cavalry, with fifty men, will proceed at once to Sandy Spring and Mechanicsville, Montgomery County, for the purpose guerrillas, who are reported to be destroying property, &c., in that vicinity. Lieutenant Vincent will scour the country in that neighborhood thoroughly and arrest all supplies parties who cannot properly account for themselves.

Lieutenant Vincent also received verbal instructions to proceed direct to Sandy Spring, through Ellicott's Mills, and upon his arrival to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Knight. He was further directed while on the march to use every precaution to arrest any of these parties who might be straggling through the country. About 6 p.m. the following was received from Colonel Knight:

I leave immediately. Some delay occasioned by the men from Monocacy.

I then telegraphed him a follows:

Do not allow this to be a failure. Follow the villians to the end, and have as few to try by court as possible.

No report has as yet been received from Lieutenant-Colonel Knight as to the success of the movement.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. B. TYLER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CONFIDENTIAL.] BALTIMORE, MD., October 8, 1864.

Brigadier General E. B. TYLER,

Relay House:

GENERAL: Please make report of the number of companies, and their strength, you can hold in readiness to be sent to this city, if needed, on the 11th, 12th, or 13th instant; also whether you have a section of Rank's battery yet at the Relay House. If not, how soon could it be brought from Monrovia to this city, and hold it in readiness for that purpose?

By command of Major-General Wallace:

SAML. B. LAWRENCE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADIER, EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,
Relay House, Md., October 8, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel SAMUEL B. LAWRENCE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Eighth Army Corps, Baltimore:

COLONEL: Your confidential letter of this date is just to hand, and in reply have to say that I have but 534 infantrymen in my command for duty. They, as you are aware, are scattered from Monocacy to Annapolis Junction. There are only eighty-eight men (mostly boys) of the Ninety-third New York State National Guards at this post, and