Glenville WVa
June 29th 1864
Sir
Yours of the 25th not to hand I regret to learn that His Excellency has limited my company to thirty five men. I certainly understand His Escellency to say that I might recruit my company to 75 or 100 men
The Commanders of U.S. forces consider it unsafe with less than 100 men at this place They usually kept about two companies here and some times three it is a [?] point to guard Rail Road and those counties north of us. There is plenty of Guerrillas and horse thieves in the county that lies south of the Little Kanhawa[sic] River I should think if he understood the topography of the County he would I have kept my men in camp at work at Black House or scouting all the time There we supply the place of regular Federal Soldiers and when any man volunteers in this county he has to go for the war for he cant go home and live while the war is rageing in as it has heretofore
I think if you will look at the interest of importance of protecting this line you would concede it
There is no federal soldiers within fifty miles of this place
Yours Respectfully
W. I. Wiant
Hon F. P. Peirpoint
Adjutant Gen WVa
Transcription by Rob Roush, undergraduate student enrolled in Dr. Billy Joe Peyton's Fall 2010 "Introduction to Public History" at West Virginia State University