party of rebels, under Captain Chapman, reconnoitered our advance during the night, and all were captured except their leader, who, declining to surrender, was killed.

The head of my column was preceded by vigilant scouts, armed with repeating rifles, mounted upon fleet horses, who permitted no one to go ahead of them. We approached Salem unheralded, and the whistling of locomotives could be heard from that point long before it was reached by us.

Four miles from Salem, a party of rebels from the town, in quest of information concerning the Yankees, met us. From some of these it was learned that the division of General Fitzhugh Lee had left Charlottesville on the 14th to intercept my command, and that a train loaded with troops was momentarily expected at Salem to guard the stores at that point. I hastened with my advance, consisting of about 350 men and two 3-inch guns, through the town to the depot. The telegraph wires were first cut-the operator was not tobe found, the railroad track torn up in the vicinity of the depot, one gun placed in battery, and the advance dismounted and placed in readiness for the expected train of troops. An inspection and estimate of the stores contained in the depot and two large buildings adjacent were made, and upon a subsequent comparison of notes taken, found to be as follows:

Two thousand barrels of flour, 10,000 bushels of wheat, 100,000 bushels of shelled corn, 50,000 bushels of oats, 2,000 barrels of meat, several cords of leather, 1,000 sacks of salt, 31 boxes of clothing, 20 bales of cotton, a large amount of harness, shoes, saddles, equipments, tools, oil, tar, and various other stores, and 100 wagons.

A train from Lynchburg, loaded with troops, soon approached. My main body was not yet in sight, and it was necessary to stop the train; a shot was fired at it from one of the guns, which missed; a second went through the train diagonally, which caused it to retire, and a third and last shot hastened its movements. My main body arrived, and parties were sent 4 miles to the eastward and 12 miles to the westward, to destroy the road.

The depots with their contents were burned; three cars standing upon the track, the water-station, turn-table, and a large pile of bridge timber and repairing material destroyed. Five bridges were burned, and the track torn up and destroyed as much as possible in six hours. The "yanks" with which we had provided ourselves proved too weak to twist the U-rails, and efforts were made to bend them, by heating the centers, with but partial success. A few small storehouses, containing leather and other valuable articles, were destroyed in the vicinity. The telegraph wires were cut, coiled, and burned for over half a mile.

Private property was untouched by my command, and the citizens received u with politeness. It was intimated to some inquisitive ones that we were going back to Buchanan, but about 4 p. m. my command quitted the work of destruction and returned upon the road it came some 7 miles, when it halted for the night. The last 80 miles had been marched in about thirty hours. Little sleep had been enjoyed by my men during five days and nights; it was necessary to pause and collect our energies for the return. During the night of the 16th it rained heavily, and also the ensuing day and night. My column was caught in the many windings of Craig's Creek, which was now swollen to a dangerous torrent, which uprooted trees and carried them away. Heavy caissons were swept down the stream,