King and Queen Court-House and 22 miles from Gloucester Court-House, and there encamped for the night, being well screened from observation from all sides. Owing to the excessive heat of the day most of the horses were much jaded. One of the team horses died during the night.

On the next morning at 5 o'clock I picked out 20 men, and with Captain Hagemeister, of Company L; Adjt. H. A. Vezin, and Lieutenant Samuel H. Bayley, proceeded to King and Queen Court-House, where we arrived at 6.30 a. m. There were no white men in the places. On the road there we met with but two, one of whom gave us a letter to take to Richmond. All able-bodied men seemed to be in the army. Passing through the Court-House, I proceeded to Frazier's Ferry, on the Mattapony River, 2 miles from the town, for the purpose of destroying the communication with the opposite side. I there arrested 4 rebel deserters -1 of the Forty-sixth and 3 of the Twenty-sixth Virginia Regiments-who had left their homes near Gloucester Court-House for the purpose of rejoining their regiments, evidently fearing that since our forces had evacuated Gloucester Point they might be take to Richmond and shot.

Finding that a small canoe was the only means of crossing the stream I did not wait to destroy it. Learning that a wagon with bacon, eggs, and other provisions had left the Court-House that morning one hour and a half before our arrival to go to Richmond, and that no troops of either side had been in that neighborhood since the evacuation of Gloucester Point by the rebels, I dispatched Lieutenant Bayley with 10 men to capture it, and also to destroy the ferry at a place called Walkerton, on the Mattapony, 12 miles from the Court-House, and sent the prisoners in a wagon with three of the men to the main command, 12 miles back. With Captain Hagemeister, Adjutant Vezin, and 7 men I awaited Lieutenant Bayley's return.

About 3 p. m. a private (Natzer), of Company B, galloped into town and reported that Lieutenant Bayley had been wounded, and that he had been cut off and taken prisoner with the rest of the men, Niezer being the only one that escaped; that the farmers were armed and collecting where Bayley was. Considering the proximity to Richmond (the place where Lieutenant Bayley was shot being only 19 miles from Richmond), and that it would require the rest of the day to bring up the force of 50 or 60 men from the mill, 12 miles back; that it would be impossible to rescue our men or to effect anything in the thick woods in that country, and that as we should have to remain there for the night we would be almost sure of being cut off, I deemed it most advisable to hurry back to our small command and take up the march to Gloucester Court-House, which I did, arriving there at 11 o'clock that night, the 8th instant. Captain klienz rejoined me next day at noon. He had not succeeded in arresting Carter B. Hudgins. I then proceeded in the evening.

On examining Private Niezer more closely I learned that Lieutenant Bayley had overtaken the wagon with 4 men, one of whom had just come from Richmond; that he left a corporal and 5 men to guard them, being still 4 miles from Walkerton Ferry, and that he went to Walkerton with 4 men. He entered a store there, seeing nothing but women, and on mounting his horse again five of six shots were fired from the store; Lieutenant Bayley wounded in the shoulder probably with four buckshot and his horse killed. Three men seized him, but he was released by his own men, one of the enemy being killed; jumped on the horse of a trooper and escaped with only two of our men, the others