war. I have only to ask that they receive at your hands such treatment as Northern prisoners have invariably received from the South.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JOHN PEGRAM,

Lieutenant-Colonel, P. A. C. S., Commanding.

Between 7 and 8 o'clock next morning two officers of General McClellan's staff arrived with his reply, of which the following is an exact copy:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
Beverly, Va., July 13, 1861.

JOHN PEGRAM, Esq.,

Styling himself Lieutenant-Colonel, P. A. C. S.:

SIR: Your communication, dated yesterday, proposing to surrender as prisoners of war the force assembled under command, has been delivered to me. As commander of this department I will received you, your officers and men, as prisoners, and I will treat you and them with the kindness due to prisoners of war, but it is not in my power to relieve you or them from any disabilities incurred by taking arms against the United States.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

I replied to Major Williams, U. S. Army, the bearer of this letter, who told me that General McClellan had with him at Beverly a force of three thousand men, that I was in no condition to dictate terms, and was obliged to accept those of his general. I then formed the companies, and found that one officer an about forty men had left during the night. I now found my force to be twenty-two officers and three hundred and fifty-nine men of Colonel Heck's regiment, and eight officers and one hundred and sixty-six men of my own (the Twentieth) regiment. With these I marched towards Beverly. On the way we were met by wagons containing hard bread for my men. On arriving at Beverly we stacked arms. Our men were at once put into comfortable quarters, under charge of a guard, and rations issued to them. The officers are on their parole, with the liberties of the town. I deem it my duty to return my thanks and the thanks of the officers here with me to General McClellan for the kind treatment our men have received from his troops.

I have now to bring to your attention the gallantry of our troops at Hart's. this is shown by the mere statement that they held their position for three hours in the face of a force ten times their own number, and did not retire until they had lost in killed and wounded nearly one-third of their number. Having been confined to a bed of illness ever since my arrival here, I have been unable to find out our exact loss in killed and wounded, but from what I can gather it is as follows: Killed, Captain William M. Skipwith and Second Lieutenant Boyd, Twentieth Virginia Volunteers, and between 40 and 45 men, names not known. Wounded, Captain C. H. Irving, Twentieth Virginia Volunteers, severely; Captains Curry and Higginbotham, Colonel Heck's regiment, and Second Lieutenant J. S. Dorset, Twentieth Virginia Volunteers, slightly; and about 20 men. Missing, Captain De Lagnel, C. S. Army, known to be badly wounded.

I, of course, lost all my baggage and camp equipage. I now wish to add that had I known the number of the enemy, and their means of getting to my rear, which all of my so-called rehable woodsmen informed me was impossible, I would have retreated on the night before, cutting down trees on both sides of the mountain, thus giving time to General Garnett to retreat by the way of Beverly and Huttonsville.

The loss of the enemy was not less than thirty killed and forty wounded.

When all so distinguished themselves by their gallantry it would be invidious to particularize, so I will only give a list of the companies engaged under the gallant De Lagnel: Company B, Twentieth Regi-