ing a half a mile I was met by Colonel Starke, General Garnett's aide, who directed me to move on with my regiment to the next ford, a short distance in advance, where I would overtake General Garnett.

On the farther side of this ford I met General Garnett, who directed me to halt my regiment around the turn of the road, some hundred and fifty yards off, and to detail for him ten good riflemen, remarking to me, "This is a good place behind this drift-wood to post skirmishers." I halted the regiment as ordered, but from the difficulty of determining who were the best shots, I ordered Captain Tomkins to report to the general with his whole company. The general, however, would not permit them to remain, but after selecting ten men, under Lieutenant Depriest ordered to remain, but after selecting ten men, under Lieutenant Depriest, ordered the company back to the regiment.

By General Garnett's orders, conveyed by Colonel Starke, I posted with tea officer three of my companies on a high bluff overlooking the river, but, finding the undergrowth so thick that the approach of the enemy could not be well observed, they were withdrawn. A few minutes after these companies rejoined the regiment Colonel Starke rode up and said that General Garnett directed me to march as rapidly as I could and overtake the main body. In a few minutes afterwards Lieutenant Depriest reported to me that General Garnett had been killed. He fell just as he gave the order to the skirmishers to retire, and one of them was killed by his side.

It gives me pleasure to bear testimony to the coolness and spirit displayed by officers and men in this affair. Lieutenant-Colonel Crenshaw and Major Pendleton set an example of courage and gallantry to the command, and the company officers behaved admirably, doing their whole duty. It would be invidious, even all behaved so well, to distinguish between them. The gallantry of Lieutenant Washington was conspicuous. After the 6-pounder rifled piece had been disabled and it was discovered it had to be abandoned, he spiked it under a heavy fire.

It is not my province, perhaps, in this report to speak of officers outside of my own command, but I trust I shall be pardoned for bearing testimony t the coolness and judgment that characterized the conduct of Colonel Starke and Captain Corley during the whole of this day and afterwards on the march. These officers, but more particularly the latter, selected every position at which our troops made a stand, and we were never driven from one of them.

The loss to the enemy in this action must have been very great, as they had from their own account three regiments engaged, and he people in the neighborhood whom I have seen since report a heavy loss, which they state the enemy endeavored to conceal by transporting the dead and wounded back to Belington in covered wagons, permitting no one to approach them.

After receiving the order of General Garnett I marched my regiment four miles farther on to Parson's Ford, a half mile beyond which I overtook the main body of our troops, who had been halted there by General Garnett, and which had been drawn up to receive the enemy.

The enemy did not advance to this ford, and after halting for some time our whole command moved forward, and marching all night on the road leading up the line of Horseshoe Run, reached about daylight the Red House, in Maryland, a point on the Northwestern turnpike near West Union.

At this last place a large force of the enemy under General Hill was concentrated. This body did not attack us, and we moved the same day into Virginia as far as Greenland, in Hardy County. After seven day's arduous march we reached this place.