command of Major Parrish, who was of very great assistance during the whole night and whose perfect coolness during such general confusion was very gratifying, in the woods at the right, so as to cross fires with the first battalion on the road in front, and then, after rallying my skirmishers and distributing them as pickets all around our front, reported these disposition to General Smith, who was pleased to approve them. On the following afternoon, at 4 p. m., I left the position by General Smith's order, and marched back to this camp, where I arrived, without further incident, at dark.

My whole loss was 4 killed and 14 wounded, as appears by the surgeon's report, a copy of which, marked a, is herewith returned.*

I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ISAAC J. WISTAR,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding California Regiment.

Colonel E. D. BAKER, Commanding Brigade.

OCTOBER 3, 1861.-Engagement at Greenbrier River, West Virginia.

REPORTS, ETC.

Numbers 1.-Brigadier General Joseph J. Reynolds, U. S. Army.

Numbers 2.-Colonel Nathan Kimball, Fourteenth Indiana Infantry.

Numbers 3.-Lieutenant Colonel William P. Richardson, Twenty-fifth Ohio Infantry.

Numbers 4.-Casualties in the Union forces.

Numbers 5.-Brigadier General Henry R. Jackson, C. S. Army, and response from Secretary of War.

Numbers 6.-Colonel William B. Taliaferro, Twenty-third Virginia Infantry.

Numbers 7.-Colonel Albert Rust. Third Arkansas Infantry.

Numbers 8.-Captain L. M. Shumaker, C. S. Army.

Numbers 9.-Congratulatory orders from Brigadier General W. W. Loring, C. S. Army.

Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General joseph J. Reynolds, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, A. O. W. VA.,
Elk Water, October 4, 1861.

SIR: On the night of the 2nd the 2nd October, at 12 o'clock, I started from the summit of Cheat Mountain to make an armed reconnaissance of the enemy's position of the Greenbrier River, 12 miles in advance. Our force consisted of Howe's battery, Fourth regular artillery, Loomis' battery, Michigan volunteer artillery; part of Daum's battery, Virginia volunteer artillery; Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Thirty-second Ohio Regiments; Seventh, Ninth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Seventeenth Indian Regiments (the last four being reduced by continuous shard service and sickness to about half regiments); parts of Robinson's company of Ohio, Greenfield's Pennsylvania, and Bracken's Indiana cavalry; in all about 5,000. Milroy's Ninth Indiana drove in the enemy's advanced pickets and, deployed to our right, driving the enemy in that flank into his entrenchments. Kimball's Fourteenth Indiana was advanced directly to the enemy's front and right, to drive

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* Not found.

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