flanking him by way of the Stony Gap road. He had, however, left a small scouting party to watch the further operations of the enemy. Sunday morning, June 5, I started with the command for Pound Gap, but before we had gone many miles a courier from Colonel Brown's scouts reported Morgan as coming through the gap. I immediately called together for consultation General Hobson and his brigade commanders, and it was determined that General Hobson, should return as speedily as possible to prepare for receiving Morgan (whose force was then reported at 5,000), if he should succeed in eluding me, or so dispose his forces that I could not attack without so scattering them as to render a victory of but little avail. I sent Colonel John Mason Brown, with his regiment and a detachment of the Thirty-ninth Kentucky, with instructions to watch the enemy, and, if possible, impede his progress until I could attack him to advantage in the rear, but with discretionary power as to when and where, if at all, he should discover himself to the enemy, thereby letting him know his movements were observed. With the rest of the command I moved on toward Pound Gap, intending by that movement to throw General Morgan off his guard if he was watching me, and also to give him such time as would enable me to overtake him in a country where he could not follow his favorite course of tactics of breaking up his command into small squads, all well acquainted with the secret paths and fastness of the country, and making it impossible to do him effectual harm. We arrived that night (June 5) about twenty miles from Pound Gap, and there learned from one of my scouts that Morgan had encamped June 3 on the Rockhouse fork of Kentucky River. Monday morning, June 6, I sent Grider, FIFTY-second Kentucky, with a part of his regiment and a detachment of the Thirty-seventh Kentucky, toward Pound Gap, with instructions to so obstruct the gaps and roads that if Morgan should attempt to return before I reached him, he (Colonel Grider) could easily his position until I could come up. With the remainder of the command I marched back to mouth of Beaver, where I caused to be selected all the men and horses fit for a rapid forced march. Leaving all others, together with all of my artillery, except the two 12-pounder howitzers, under command of Colonel C. J. True, Fortieth Kentucky, to be conducted to Louisa as soon as possible, with my picked command I retraced my steps that night as far as Prestonburg, and Tuesday, June 8, took the direct line of pursuit. When I arrived at Salyersville I received a courier from Colonel John M. Brown informing me he was on the trail of Morgan's main force. I ordered Colonel Brown to continue scouting in advance, and pushed the command forward as rapidly and continuously as human endurance and due regard for the horses would admit, traveling without intermission, except for absolutely necessary halts, night and day. When we were some ten miles from Mount Sterling Colonel John M. Brown reported to me in person that he had followed Morgan until he found he had taken Mount Sterling and its small garrison that morning with his cavalry, and his infantry had arrived in the evening, and all had gone into camp without a suspicion we were near. To this able officer great praise is due for the judgment and indefatigable energy displayed by him in the arduous march from Pound Gap, in which he had skirmished nearly every mile of the way, and with a discretion which would have done honor to an older head; had so cautiously conducted the march of the advance that, even though he had picked up several stragglers from their ranks, the enemy had no suspicion of our proximity. Thursday morning at 4 o'clock [I ordered] the attack to be made, and made the