ing of the lower ones. I cannot learn that there has ever been a battery at Cockpit Point. A ball was thrown to the rear of Mr. Posey's house, which was supposed to have been thrown from a battery of a single gun planted at an elevation of 150 feet. The place where the gun is supposed to be is quite visible with a glass, but not the gun, or at least not plainly. With a good glass six guns in the upper and five in the lower battery can be counted. It is quite certain that there are more guns in position,. as one of those fired yesterday was out of sight. Its location was made known by the smoke.

Heavy firing was heard from below last evening, which from the direction was supposed to have taken place at Mathias Point. Field batteries have been seen on the opposite shore, but are out of sight now. The supports of the batteries appeared to be at least a mile in the rear. Judging from the great quantity of smoke constantly rising above the timber which it is supposed comes from camp fires, their force must be very considerable.

Very respectfully,

NELSON TAYLOR,

Colonel, Commanding Detachment.

Brigadier General D. E. SICKLES, Commanding.

Numbers 2. Reports of Captain Robert S. Williamson, U. S. Topographical Engineers.

CAMP NEAR BUDD'S FERRY,

Tuesday Morning, October 22, 1861

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I arrived at this point about 40 miles distant from Sickles' camp, yesterday about 1 p.m. and shortly afterwards visited that part of the river shore opposite three of the enemy's batteries. There is one on the southern bank of Quantico Creek, at its mouth, at what I suppose to be Evansport. Five guns are plainly visible with my glass, and there is doubtless at least one more, which, being directed down the river, is hidden by an embankment. The plan of the work is a crescent or curved line, the northernmost guns pointing across the river, while two others point down it. Another battery is at a short distance (probably about a mile) below, at Shipping Point. Here there guns only can be seen, but the earthwork extends sufficiently below the last visible gun to afford room for from three to five guns more.

North of the mouth of the Quantico, on a hill, is another batter of probably but one gun. I suppose it to bee at least 100 feet, and probably as much as 150 feet, above the river, and so distant that I am not sure what I saw is a gun; but the bare spot on the timbered hill-side and the report of the inhabitants that a heavy guns is there leaves no doubt in my mind that it is so. These are all the batteries I can see in this vicinity. Report says field artillery are stationed near there. I have no evidence to show there are guns at Cockpit Point.

Four guns were fired from these batteries last evening, one from the lower battery and three from the one at Evansport. They were fired at small schooners which were passing close to this shore. They did no damage. An elongated heavy shell from the Evansport battery lodged in a bank near the water's edge without exploding, and was