In this battle the command under me suffered very heavily in killed and wounded. The fight occurred in the woods, where the undergrowth was very thick. It is therefore impossible for me to approximate our loss, and from the further fact that a large part of my command were strangers to me.

I take pleasure in bearing testimony to the gallantry of Major Blessing and to his unremitting efforts to rally and sustain his men. The adjutant of the regiment is also entitled to notice. There is one officer of that battalion who is entitled to distinguished notice, whose name I have not learned. As soon as I do so I shall communicate it. I am also gratified to mention Captain Thompson, of the Twenty-second [Virginia Infantry], and Captain Wilson, of the Fourteenth [Virginia Cavalry], as having entitled themselves to honorable mention. There are others of those regiments who are entitled to notice, but with whom I was unacquainted. I regret that the commands were separated before I could learn them.

In my own command the loss was heavy. Among the rest the brave and gallant Captain John W. Young fell mortally wounded while leading his company in a charge upon the enemy that I ordered, and John Y. Bassell, a youth scarce sixteen, was, I fear, mortally wounded while fighting gallantly by his side.

Captain J. W. Marshall, Nineteenth Virginia Cavalry, distinguished himself for his coolness and calm disregard of danger. I call especial attention to his conduct upon the field.

Major Kesler, Captain Ruffner, of the Nineteenth [Virginia Cavalry], and Captain Hutton, Lieutenants Lewis and Boggs, of the Twentieth [Virginia Cavalry]; Acting Adjutant Cranford (who was wounded), and Sergeant-Major Minter are entitled to honorable mention, and are entitled to my thanks for the earnest efforts they made to have my orders carried out. Many other officers are perhaps entitled to mention, but the limits of my report prevent more than a general notice. I take sincere pleasure in saying that every officer of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Regiments who was with me behaved with gallantry and commendable coolness.

I cannot forbear in this report to mention an incident of the retreat: The enemy were pressing with great vigor, and the cavalry held in the rear (who had been fighting all day) were momentarily demoralized, when Lieutenant Beard, of McNeel's company; Lieutenant Justice, of Ruffner's company, and George B. Pollard, of McNeel's company, and one or two more threw themselves in the rear of all the command and gallantly charged the advancing column of the enemy, and took a prisoner, with his horse and accouterments, from the head of the column.

In obedience to your order, when the retreat commenced I remained in the rear with the cavalry until we reached Union. With the incidents of that retreat you are familiar, as you also remained in the rear during our retreat. I may be permitted to add that the battle was skillfully managed and gallantry fought; but the enemy numbered over four to our one, and it was but a question of time when our force should retire on the flank, which I had the honor to command.

Very few prisoners were taken from us. We wounded 2 and took 3 prisoners. I believe they afterward made their escape. The enemy confess to a much heavier loss in killed and wounded than we sustained.

On the left my men were deployed so as to keep the line extended