accomplished could have been by General Benham's force. Commanding general fears troops will suffer. Colonel McCook has been ordered to clear out Miller's ferry road. Everything will be done to help you. In case of necessity you will have to come down to Dickerson's and get some from McCook. Your tents will be taken over the river and pitched near Huddleston, to which camp you will return as soon as you get advices from General Benham, showing, as I doubt not they will, that no advantage is to gained by carrying your men farther, beyond the reach of subsistence.

JOSEPH DARR, JR.,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

NOVEMBER 15, 1861.

Brigadier General R. C. SCHENCK, Camp Union:

The commanding general, without any means to judge of the propriety of ordering the troops back from towards Raleigh, presumes that you acted with sound discretion.

JOSEPH DARR, JR.

Numbers 2. Report of Brigadier General Jacob D. Cox, U. S. Army, of skirmishes at Blake's farm, November 10-11.

HEADQUARTERS KANAWHA BRIDGE,
Gauley bridge, November 13, 1861.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 10th instant I ordered Colonel De Villiers, of the Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteers, to take 200 men (being all of his regiment fit for duty), and after reconnoitering the mountains skirting New River on the other side to occupy and hold the crests, if possible, so as to prevent any further attempts on the part of the enemy to destroy the ferry at this place from the battery lately held by them opposite to us. At the same time I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Enyeart, commanding First Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, to cross the river below the falls with 200 men, and occupy the mills, the spurs of the mountains near there, and reconnoiter the Fayette road, and hold, if possible, the position lately occupied by the enemy's guns opposite the First Kentucky camp. Colonel De Villiers threw over at first a part of 40, of which half was sent along the hills down the Kanawha from the crossing place, a few rods above the bridge piers, where I had previously established a ferry capable of crossing 500 men per hour. The other half of the party the colonel conducted himself along a path by the river side under the cliffs to a ravine leading up to the Blake farm, about 1 mile up New River. At Blake's farm some 50 or 60 of the enemy were discovered and immediately attacked. Being surprised, they were driven into the woods upon the hill-sides above with the loss of several killed, who were dragged away in sight of our men. The enemy was immediately re-enforced by about 200, and the advanced party of the Eleventh retired to the marking of Blake's farm, where, by stationing themselves behind a fence at the edge of a ravine, they were able to hold the rebels in check until remained of the party of the Eleventh