held, nor that his pickets did not give me any notice of the approach of the enemy. I simply state the facts, that none of my pickets were driven in; that the enemy did not advance over any road under my supervision, and that they were, within 600 ;yards of the edge of the town, on the Shepherdstown road, before I was aware of their proximity. I then took position in front of my camps, and held it until my pickets were withdrawn.

In justice to my brigade, I beg that you will transmit this statement to the general commanding. I did not make a report to you because, though I had been placed in a most critical position by the failure of Colonel Lee's to communicate with me, still, I met with no loss, and I did not desire to appear to attach any blame to Colonel Lee. this was especially the case after he had frankly, in your presence, apologized to me for the failure of the plan of operations we had agreed on; nor do I wish to detract from any commendation you have bestowed on Lee's brigade; my only object is to vindicate my own.

Hoping that you will excuse the minuteness of my statement, I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WADE HAMPTON,

Brigadier-General.

Major-General STUART.

OCTOBER 1-2, 1862.- Reconnaissance from Harper's Ferry, W. Va., to Leesburg, Va.

Report of Brigadier General Nathan Kimball, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS KIMBALL'S BRIGADE,
Harper's Ferry, Va., October 3 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your orders, I left camp early on the morning of the 1st instant, with my brigade consisting of the Fourth Ohio, Fourteenth Indiana, Seventh Virginia, Eight Ohio, and One hundred and thirty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Sixth U. S. Cavalry, with four 3-inch rifled pieces of horse artillery and Frank's battery of light 12 pounders, and crossing the Shenandoah on the pontoon bridge at Harper's Ferry, Marched, by an exceedingly rough and difficult road, along the southwest bank of the Potomac River, to Dutchman's Creek a mountain brook that empties into the Potomac River, to Dutchman's Creek, a mountain brook that empties into the Potomac River, to Dutchman's Creek a mountain brook that empties into the Potomac, at the easterly base of Short Mountain, about 5 miles from Harper's Ferry, and taking the road that leads up the gorge through which this brook runs, passed into the Catoctin Valley, by the way of Lovettsville. A body of the enemy's cavalry, under the command of Captain White, had been marauding and pillaging in the village and in the country adjacent the day before, and a Mr. Stoneburner, a Union citizen and merchant, wa robbed and obliged to flee for his life, they taking from his store not only articles of use to them, but everything they could carry away, destroying what they could not. I advanced along this road toward Waterford as rapidly as possible, thoroughly examining the country on both sides, with both cavalry, and infantry scouts, until, at the village of Waterford, the advance guard surprised and captured 6 of the enemy pickets stationed at that place. The prisoners were sent to you immediately.

From information received at this village, I hope to surprise a body of the enemy's cavalry, which I was led to think might be at Leesburg, and, pushing on rapidly, reached the summit of the Catoctin Mount