and the officers and men under your command for your brilliant conduct on this occasion and your successful defense of the important position held by you against a force so superior. The President joins me in the expression of the satisfaction we both feel in finding our confidence in you and your command so fully justified. In this connection I beg to say that the President submitted to my perusal your private letter to him in relation to a newspaper report relating to the affair at Cheat Mountain. He has answered your letter, as he informs me. It gives me pleasure to assure you that there is not a syllable in General Lee's report that reflects in the remotest manner any discredit on you, and I hope you will not feel offended at my expressing surprise that you should attach any importance or feel any sensitiveness in relation to sensation articles or reports in the newspapers. I have the pleasure of seeing my own action and opinions almost daily misconceived or misrepresented on "the most reliable information" with perfect equanimity, and you may well trust to your own well-earned reputation as a perfect shield against all anonymous attacks.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Acting Secretary of War.

Big. General HENRY R. JACKSON,

Headquarters, Greenbrier River.

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

HDQRS. FIFTH BRIGADE, ARMY OF NORTHWEST,
Camp at Greenbrier River, October 4, 1861.

GENERAL: I have the honor, in obedience to your orders, to make a report of the operations of the troops under my immediate command in the action between your forces and the enemy on yesterday.

According to your instructions my command, consisting of the Twenty-third and Forty-fourth Virginia Regiment and a battalion of the Twenty-fifth Virginia Regiment, support by Shumaker's and Rice's light batteries, occupied the center of your line of defense.

As soon as it became manifest that the enemy were approaching in force I ordered the infantry to occupy the lines of trenches defending the front approach and the artillery to be placed in position to command the turnpike and meadow in the left and front of our position.

After a gallant resistance by our picket guard, re-enforced by a detachment headed by Colonel Johnson, who maintained an extraordinary truffle with an overwhelming force of the enemy, their troops in great numbers were seen to debouch from the turnpike and from across the river flat, whilst a heavy column was seen to occupy the hills on the right of the road. Very soon after this their batteries were established in the meadow and on the road, and opened upon our position, and poured without intermission a storm of shot and shell for four hours and a quarter point. Our batteries replied with remarkable spirit and determination, and with telling effect, as soon as the enemy approached within range of our pieces.

The infantry of the enemy fell back just without range and made effort to turn our left flank, but could soon be seen recrossing the river and concentrating upon the left of their lines. Leaving a supporting force with their artillery, they formed on the slope of the hills overlooking