by the woods that we could not ascertain correctly what he was doing.

On December 1, a diminution of the enemy's guns in my immediate front was observed, but as it had been then ascertained that there had been a massing of troops toward General Hill's right, it was supposed that this diminution was owing to that fact. Having waited in vain for the enemy to attack us, the commanding general determined to take the initiative, and for that purpose directed me on the afternoon of the 1st to extend my line during the night to the right as far as the plank road, so as to enable two divisions to be withdrawn from General Hill's part of the line, for the purpose of attacking the enemy's left next morning. This movement was executed at 3 o'clock in the morning, the hour designated for it.

At light on the 2nd, it was discovered that the enemy had retired during the night. This movement of his had been favored by the movement of our own troops. I immediately sent word to the commanding general and crossed a brigade of Rodes' division over Mine Run, toward Locust Grove. I soon received instructions to follow in the track of the enemy with two divisions, and to send Johnson's division to Morton's Ford. I did not think it proper to pursue the enemy until these instructions were received, because it was not impossible that he might have recrossed the river for the purpose of moving up and again crossing at some of the upper fords. Johnson's division was sent to the forks at Morton's Ford, and rodes' and my own divisions were moved rapidly along the turnpike the former turning off from the turnpike below Locust Grove to Spottswood's, on the Germanna plank road, and the latter going down the turnpike to the Wilderness Tavern.

On arriving at Spottswood's, about 3 miles from Germanna Ford, I ascertained that the enemy's whole force had passed, and with the exception of stragglers was beyond pursuit. A large portion of the enemy's artillery and his trains had been sent to the rear the previous day, and the movement of his infantry had commenced early in the night. We succeeded in capturing about 300 prisoners, about 140 of whom were captured in one body by a small detachment of the Twelfth Georgia Regiment, Doles' brigade, Rodes' division. Having no cavalry with me, Lieutenant Turner, of General Ewell's staff, was sent ahead with some 8 or 10 men from the company of couriers attached to the corps, and he captured a number of stragglers, and came up with the cavalry rear guard, which fled a this approach.

When it was ascertained that the enemy had recrossed the river, which he did at Germanna, Culpeper Mine, and Ely's Fords, I moved back, by direction of the commanding general, to Mine Run that night and the next day to our former position on the river.

I saw on the enemy's track, which I pursued, abundant evidences of the most wanton barbarity. A small tan-yard near Locust Grove, used solely for the purpose of tanning hides on shares to furnish shoes to the women and children of the neighborhood, had been burned, the hides taken from the vats and cut to pieces, and the house of the owner also burned. Smoke-houses had been broken open and helpless women plundered of every mouthful of provisions; the most common country carts and farming implements destroyed, and a number of other outrages perpetrated, which could have been perpetrated only by a cowardly foe, stung with mortification at this ridiculous termination of so pretentious an expedition.