Scott; Third [West] Virginia Mounted Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel F. W. Thompson; Eighth [West] Virginia Mounted Infantry, Colonel J. H. Oley; Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel J. N. Schoonmaker; Gibson's battalion, and Batteries B and G, First [West] Virginia Light Artillery, Capts, J. V. Keeper and C. T. Ewing.

The command moved on the Staunton pike to Greenbrier Bridge, and thence by Camp Bartow and Green Bank to Huntersville, driving before them the enemy's pickets, and capturing or dispersing the guerrilla bands which infest that port of the country.

The command reached Huntersville at noon of the 4th, and it was there ascertained that Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, of Jackson's command, was at Marling's Bottom with a force of about 600 men. I at once sent the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry and Third [West] Virginia Mounted Infantry on the direct road to Mill Point, to cut off Thompson's retreat toward Lewisburg, and the Second and Eighth [West] Virginia Mounted Infantry and one section of Ewing's battery to Marling's Bottom, to attack him at that place. At 9 o'clock I received information from Colonel Oley, Eighth [West] Virginia Mounted Infantry, commanding detachment to Marling's Bottom, that the enemy had retired toward Mill Point, blockading the road in their rear. A dispatch from Colonel Schoonmaker, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, received about midnight, informed me that Thompson had effected a junction with the remainder of jackson's command, and that it was all in position in his front and threatening an attack.

The infantry and Keeper's battery were moved about 3 a.m. to join Schoonmaker, and Oley was ordered to cut out the blockade and march to the same point as fast as possible. I reached Mill Point with the infantry and Keeper at 8 a. m. on the 5th, and fund that they had just arrived, and that the enemy were retiring. This was Thursday, the 5th of November. We were 34 miles from Lewisburg, at which point it had been directed that my force should arrive on Saturday at 2 p. m. It was not thought proper to press the enemy vigorously on this day, in order to keep him as far as possible from Lewisburg, and [not?] to permit him to be re-enforced from that direction, and to gain the advantage which would follow from the arrival at Lewisburg of the force under General Duffie from the Kanawha Valley. An attempt was, however, made to capture the force under Jackson by sending three mounted regiments to cut off his retreat. The rapidity of the enemy's movements made this attempt unsuccessful, and he succeeded in reaching Droops Mountain, upon the summit of which he made a stand. My advance was withdrawn from the fire of his artillery, and the attack postponed until the ensuing day.

On the morning of the 6th, we approached the enemy's position. The main road to Lewisburg runs over Droop Mountain, the northern slope of which is partially cultivated nearly to the summit, a distance of 2 1/2 miles from the foot. The highway is partially hidden in the views from the summit and base in strips of woodland. It is necessary to passover low rolling hills and across bewildering ravines to reach the mountain in any direction.

The position of the enemy was defined by a skirmishing attack of three companies of infantry. It was thought that a direct attack would be difficult. The infantry and one company of cavalry were therefore sent to the right to ascend a range of hills which ran westward from Droop Mountain, with orders to attack the enemy's