to remove every species of public property from that place. When this was done I moved the infantry and artillery slowly back across the river, leaving only Major B. F. Eakle, with three companies of the Fourteenth Cavalry, to observe the movements of the enemy. Very soon after the command had thus moves across the river. Major Eakle with his detachment was forced to cross, and the enemy in considerable numbers appeared advancing near the river, but were driven back by two pieces of artillery under charge, respectively, of Captains Chapman and Jackson, the whole under the direction of Major William McLaughlin. The enemy planted their artillery in position on the hill west of the river, and the fire was kept up on both sides until dark.

Major Eakle having reported to me that during the day the cavalry of the enemy, of which I knew they had a large number, had not made its appearance in front, and having received information that the enemy were advancing in force upon me from the direction of Beverly (their force on that line consisting of two regiments and a battalion and four pieces of artillery), I deemed it prudent to fall back slowly toward the county of Monroe, in order to avoid being flanked by a movement of the enemy across Greenbrier River by any one of several fords lower down on that river, and in order that I might form a junction with Colonel McCausland, who, I was informed, was moving to my support. I accordingly moved my command, numbering about 1,200 muskets for duty, to Pickaway Plains, in Monroe County, on the morning of the 13th instant, at which point I halted until joined by Colonel McCausland, and where, too, Major-Generals Scammon and Duffie, and the brigade from Beverly under the command of Colonel Moor.

On the 15th instant, information having being received that General Averell was moving with a large force, which was afterward actually ascertained to number 3,300 men and six pieces of artillery, from Callaghan's up Dunlap's Creek to Sweet Springs, I was ordered by General Jones to move my command a few miles south of Union, in order that the trains might be secured and that we might move to meet Averell the next morning.

During the night of the 15th, it being ascertained that Averell had crossed the mountains in the direction of Salem, I was ordered by General Jones to move on the 16th instant in the direction of Sweet Springs, and afterward ordered to take position on the mountain just beyond, in order to intercept him should he return by that route, which it was understood he would endeavor to do.

My command was put in position on Sweet Springs Mountain on the morning of the 18th instant, at daybreak, and the place was strongly fortified by order and under the direction of General Jones. On the morning of the 19th, General Averell commenced to move back upon the Sweet Springs road, and drove in the small cavalry picket which I had at Mrs. Scott's, 15 miles in my front, but upon ascertaining that General Jones, with my command and some few additional troops, was on the mountain, he changed the direction of his march, and went to Covington by an obscure and rugged road through what is known s the Rich Patch, in Alleghany.

My brigade remained on the mountain until the evening of the 20th instant, when I was ordered by the major-general commanding to march it down. On the next day, learning that Averell had prob-