any direction or discharge any duty, however perilous; fighting all day without food or water, and that, too, without a murmur. My lieutenants all shouldered their guns and fought all day long, and were all the time at their posts, cheering the men and placing themselves in the most exposed position.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

W. L. DUFF,

Captain Co. K, Seventeenth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers,

Colonel W. S. FEATHERSTON,

Commanding Seventeenth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers.

Numbers 29. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas M. Griffin, Eighteenth Mississippi Infantry.

HDQRS. EIGHTEENTH REGIMENT MISS. VOLS.,
Camp near Oakland, Va., October 25, 1861.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Eighteenth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers in the battle near Leesburg on the 21st instant.

The enemy, having landed a number of troops on the west bank of the Potomac at Harrison's Island during the night of the 20th instant, commenced their march on Leesburg about 7 o'clock in the morning, when they were met by Captain Duff, of the Seventeenth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, about 1 mile from town, and after a sharp conflict driven back to the woods.

Soon after this Captains Welborn and J. C. Campbell, of the Eighteenth Regiment, were ordered to the support of Captain Duff, with some cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Jenifer, who kept the enemy in check until near 12 o'clock. The enemy having received large re-enforcements, the Eighth Virginia was ordered to the support of Colonel Jenifer and went into action between 1 and 2 p.m. and fought the enemy for more than an hour, when the Eighteenth which with the Seventeenth and Thirteenth had been holding in check a large force of the enemy at Edwards Ferry, was ordered up, and reached the field about 2.30 o'clock, and were soon warmly engaged. Taking position on the right of the Eighth Virginia Regiment, the line of battle was formed and a heavy fire opened on the enemy's line. The Federalists were strongly posted, with artillery-one 12-pounder rifled gun and two mountain howitzers---on an eminence with an open field in front, their right protected by woods, their left by woods and a deep ravine.

Colonel Burt fell mortally wounded while gallantly leading the regiment at the commencement of the charge on the enemy's battery, when the command of the regiment devolved upon me.

Finding that the enemy were making some demonstrations on my right flank, I ordered Captain Hann's company to the right, who soon cleared the wood of their skirmishers. The line was advanced to within a short distance of their guns, when several heavy volleys were fired, forcing them to fall back into the ravine for shelter. At 3.30 o'clock Colonel Featherston, with the Seventeenth Regiment, arrived on the ground, when the two regiments were formed in line of battle, an charged the enemy until they were driven into the Potomac or captured..

I cannot speak in too high terms of the officers and men of the Eight-