have since learned that the rebels placed a guard over his room and forbid his being disturbed; also that a rebel physician, more solicitous than ever our own surgeons had been for his welfare, visited and prescribed for his without compulsion. Any assistance that you may render in securing the return of the above members of my company to their comrades by way of exchange or otherwise will cause you to be ever remembered with the warmest feelings of gratitude by all the members of my command.

Your obedient servant,

SAMUEL S. LINTON,

Captain Company D, Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers.

Lieutenant Colonel T. O. OSBORN.

Numbers 5. Report of Captain James H. Hooker, Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, of skirmish at Sir John's Run, W. Va.

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, ---, 1862.

The night before the attack on Bath First Lieutenant Whipple, with 25 men from Company E, was detailed to go to Great Cacapon to assist Captain Slaughter. The balance of the company were left at Sir John's Run to guards the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at that point.

The attack on Bath was expected, and in the morning, January 4, we set ourselves at work on a commanding hill to prepare a good position in case of emergency, and kept out a strong picket during the day. The rebels, some 10,000 in number, attacked Bath about noon. Company D, Captain Linton, Company K, Captain Woodruff, and Company I, Captain Phillips, under command of Major Mann, of the Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, had a sharp skirmish with the rebels, doing good execution, but the rebels kept constantly advancing upon them, taking some twelve prisoners from Companies D and K. The Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania, Colonel Murray, came to support them, but having just received their arms, found they were in no condition for service, and Colonel Murray ordered a retreat. Meanwhile we were overjoyed at Sir John's Run by seeing the Thirteenth Indiana unload from the cars and falling in in good order, and start for Bath with their band playing and in good spirits. Not knowing that our forces were retreating they made for Bath, but on nearing the place were obliged to fall back without getting sight of the enemy.

Meanwhile we busied ourselves getting a flat-boat out of the ice to provide against the worst, as there was considerable of value to save in case of a retreat. While thus engaged our forces came into Sir John's Run in good order. I went immediately to find out what the order was; they replied a retreat. The Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania Regiment kept on down the railroad to Hancock. I, being acquainted with the positions, prevailed on the three companies of the Thirty-ninth Illinois Regiment and the Thirteenth Indiana to try taking positions, one on the right and the other on the left hill, both having command of all the accessible roads and paths from Bath. On the hill wit the Thirty-ninth Lieutenant Muglenberg would have an opportunity to plant his artillery and take a range on Bath, and enable all to do good execution, and no change for the enemy to cut off our retreat. After getting this move fairly under way and the forces partly up the hill, the order, "Halt; let's go to Bath," was given, and a consultation was had, which resulted