of Griffin's battery. I here threw out two parties of skirmishers-one a half mile west, one a half mile north-and placed the remainder under cover. Lieutenant-Colonel Cameroon was ordered to take Company I down the road leading to Falls Church, with instructions to deploy them as skirmishers in a piece of pine wood commanding the road on the right.

When the survey was finished and the recall sounded I called in the skirmishers first detached and moved them with the piece we were protecting down to the cross-roads. When we halted temporarily, Lieutenant-Colonel Cameroon, discovering that Company I did not return when recalled, sent a mounted sergeant after them, and as he did not return for some time, Lieutenant-Colonel Cameroon followed himself and met them coming out of the woods. At this juncture a heavy body of infantry opened fire upon them.

I may here mention that their delay was thus occasioned: Lieutenant Hancock and four men had left the line of skirmishers, and advanced nearly a half mile to get a shot at two larger bodies of infantry who were discovered deploying down the side of a large hill covered with timber. After a sharp firing, by which a number of the enemy were killed, one of the party, Private Hiram Antibus, though hotly pursued and continually fired on for a long distance, escaped with loss of shoes and cartridge-box, but bringing off his gun, while Lieutenant Hancock, Sergt. S. M. Goodwin, and Private Oliver Hubbell were shot down, being either killed or seriously wounded, nor have they since been heard of.

Having formed my command in line, while waiting orders we suffered from a heavy fire proceeding form a strip of timber and adjoining corn field, killing Private W. H. H. Wood, of Company D, by a shot through the head, and seriously, if not mortally, wounding Private Asbury Inlow, of the same company, by a ball through the left cheek, which passed out behind the ear. In resting I was ordered ot cover the rear and protect a portion of Griffin's battery, Lieutenant McLean, with a company of dragoons, following me. Thus we proceeded for half a mile towards camp under a terrific shower of shell, causing to my own command, however, no casualty, while other were less fortunate. The position of the enemy's guns being ascertained, our guns were placed in battery,and we with the rest of the infantry were formed in line, my command still covering the rear. Here a spent ball from an enemy concealed in the woods wounded in the foot Privat John Hamilton, of Company D. After a considerable interval, or batteries having silenced those of the enemy and recalled his cavalry, we quietly returned to camp, still covering the rear, till were met re-enforcements.

My men were under fire about two hours, and during the whole of that time behaved with the utmost coolness and gallantry, obeying all orders promptly and with but little confusion, their chief anxiety seeming to be that the enemy's infantry might advance from their cover or that they might have a chance to try their hand on Stuart's cavalry. Though discrimination seems almost invidious when all behaved well, yet I cannot close my report without adverting to the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron, whose courage and coolness were conspicuous throughout the whole of this affair. While shells were bursting around us he rode the lines, giving orders with an equanimity which was not even disturbed when one of them passed so close that his horse, sinking under him, with difficulty recovered the shock.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. MEREDITH,

Colonel Nineteenth Regiment Indiana Volunteers.

Colonel STEVENS,

Commanding reconnoitering Expedition.