Unknown to Henry W. Benham, November 4, 1861

Camp Gauley Mountain, November 4, 1861.

Your dispatch received. Three boats will be sent you this evening. You will find the wagon-body arrangement makes a solid and capacious float of great capacity, and may be rowed across with double oars or sweeps. Have the poles 25 feet long and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Take 6 wagon-bodies. A single wagon-body and tent-fly doubled under it makes a good boat. Conceal your movements, and clear everything up to Loop Creek. W. S. ROSECRANS, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army. – Brig. Gen. H. W. BENHAM, Camp Huddleston.

NOVEMBER 4, 1861. The commanding general expects you to go up Loop Creek in force or else this side, closing the mouth of it. Will likely give final orders to-morrow morning. Push information as far as possible. Will telegraph Major Leiper to see if he can send you scout. : JOSEPH DARR, Jm., Major, First Virginia Cavalry, A. A. A. G. Brig. Gen. H. W. BENHAM, Camp Huddleston.