he had been fired upon by the enemy, who had already reached the crossing of the run at that place.

Attacked thus on every side, with my command separated by a considerable stream, encumbered with a wagon train in the vicinity of the whole force of the enemy, and whom the sound of actual conflict had already assured of my position, to halt was to await annihilation, and to move as prescribed carried me along routes in a valley command by the heights on each side.

It was a trying situation. The teams were prepared to move forward or back as necessity might require. Colonel Carroll's brigade was directed to regain and hold the crossing of Cedar Run by occupying the wooded height on our left of it. Orders were sent to General Hays to moved forward on the road with all his force and clear away all obstacles, and to General Webb with his division to pass the train and follow the support of General Hays.

The actual conditio of things at the moment was not so bad as reported, for our movement had begun too early for the enemy's preparations to be completed. The report of the cavalry officer was incorrect. Colonel Carroll gained the position assigned him, and found Colonel Beaver's command of General Caldwell's division already there, and not the enemy. General Hays had already, as he reported-

Moved forward the entire regiment of the One hundred and twenty-sixth New York Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Bull, supported by the Twelfth New Jersey Volunteers. In a short time our force came in conflict with the rebels. It was short but very decisive. The rebel cavalry, led by Colonel Thomas Ruffin, charged furiously upon the deployed One hundred and twenty-sixth and were most gallantly repulsed, with the loss their leader, who was mortally wounded.

Under this attack and the fire of Captain Ricketts' battery the enemy's cavalry fled, and General Caldwell again changed his front toward Warrenton, from which direction the columns and lines of skirmishers were now plainly to be seen advancing along the west side of Cedar Run, and against them our artillery opened fire. General Gregg's force, partially dismounted, continued to skirmish with them on our left and rear, and prevented the enemy advancing except in force, which required of him time to bring up and deploy his strength. General Caldwell covered the right of his front by Colonel Brooke's brigade, which also met the advance of the enemy in force coming down the east branch of Cedar Run At almost 8 a. m. a messenger arrived from General Kilpatrick stating his position at Buckland Mills, and inquiring about the nature of the firing which had been heard by him.

General Hays' movement was not again checked, and the train and General Webb's division continued to follow him. All wounded were put in ambulances, and our dead buried. As soon as General Gregg's division could be withdrawn across Cedar Run, Colonel Carroll's brigade was withdrawn and sent along the road to Catlett's Station. The different parts of General Caldwell's division retired by brigade, the last battery being that of Captain Arnold, which sustained a heavy fire from a battalion of the enemy's batteries, some of which were 20-pounders. The object sought, however, the delaying of the enemy, was gained, with but trifling loss to us. When all was ready our last battery withdrew, leaving only a section, and the thin line of skirmishers of our rear guard and its supports. The enemy, by this time fully prepared, advanced his lines of battle, from which our men, in their light order, retired with rapidity. As this