miles, where it intersects with the Staunton turnpike again at Greenbrier River, at the eastern base of Cheat Mountain. By doing this they could besiege me in front and rear. Nor had I any reason to expect that in the mean time I could get sufficient re-enforcements to be of any practical utility, for the top of Cheat Mountain is more then eighty miles from Staunton, from which our re-enforcements would have to march on foot.

For these reasons, to say nothing of the want of artillery to defend fortifications when made, I concluded not to stop on the top of Cheat Mountain, but continue my march to Greenbrier River, at the eastern base of the mountain and some ten or twelve miles distant, where I expected to meet Colonel Edward Johnson, who was due there with his regiment that (Friday) night, and who would have command both of his regiment and mine, and leave it to his discretion whether or not of return to the top of the mountain and fortify. I did so, accordingly, and met Colonel Johnson the next day (Saturday) at Greenbrier River, as I expected. He, without consulting me on the subject, ordered the retreat to be continued to the top of the Alleghany Mountains, where we met General H. R. Jackson, who continued it to Monterey.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. C. SCOTT,

Colonel Forty-fourth Regiment Virginia Volunteers.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General.

Numbers 29. Report of Colonel W. B. Taliaferro, Twenty-third Virginia Infantry, of the action at Carrick's Ford.

MONTEREY, August 10, 1861.

GENERAL: As no report has been required of me by the officer (Colonel Ramsey, of the First Regiment Georgia Volunteers) who succeeded to the command of General Garnett's force on the death of that officer, of the action at Carricks' Ford, at which my regiment with a section of artillery was engaged with the enemy, I beg in justice to the officers and men who were with me to make to you a brief report.

On the evening of the 12th July General Garnett bivouacked at Kaler's Ford, on Cheat River, the rear of his command being about two miles back on Pleasant Run. On the morning of the 13th July the command was put in motion about 8 o'clock, the Thirty-seventh Virginia and Colonel Jackson's regiment and Lieutenant-Colonel Hansborught's battalion, with a section of artillery, under Captain Shumaker, then the baggage train, and then Colonel Ramsey's First Georgia and the Twenty-third Virginia Regiment, constituting, with Lieutenant Lanier's section of artillery and a cavalry force under Captain Jackson, the rear of the command. Before the wagon train (which was very much impeded by the condition of the county road over which it had to pass, rendered very bad by the heavy rains of the proceeding night) had crossed the first ford half a mile above Kaler's, the cavalry scouts reported that the enemy were close upon our rear with a very large force of infantry, well supported by cavalry and artillery. The First Georgia Regiment was immediately ordered to take position across the meadow on the river side and hold the enemy in check until the train had passed