Germanna Ford. As soon as the rear of our trains had passed the point where the Germanna Ford road branched off they were halted, and we waited the arrival of troops.

About 8 a. m. General Crawford arrived with the head of his column. General Sykes arrived about the same time. A small body of pioneers and one regiment of infantry were marched to the head of the trains, and we proceeded toward Culpeper Ford. The head of the first train (Captain Hine's, with eight boats) reached the foot of the hill about 10 a. m. Here the trains were halted under cover until the position could be examined and troops placed in position to cover the crossing. A few of the enemy's vedettes only were visible on the opposite hill.

At 10.50 a. m. General Sykes gave the order to move the trains, throw over infantry in boats, and build the bridges. The head of the train had about half a mile to go to reach the position selected. Four boats were placed in the water in a very few minutes, loaded with infantry, and sent over, and the construction of the bridge commenced.

One regiment was sent over in boats while the first part of the bridge was being built. As soon as the wagons of Captain Hine's train had moved out of the way, Captain McDonald moved his train forward and commenced the second bridge. Batteries had been placed on the hills behind us, and while the bridges were being constructed a few shells were thrown into the woods on the opposite side. No response was elicited from the enemy, nor was any opposition made to our crossing. Two of the enemy's vedettes were taken prisoners by a small body of our cavalry that had crossed at the ford. Captain Hine's bridge was completed at 12 o'clock and Captain McDonald's at 12.15. All the boats I had with me (fifteen in all) were used in the two bridges, and I have no reserve to provide for accidents, high water, or to catch floating timber.

As soon as the first bridge was completed at this point General Sykes crossed the river, and, before leaving, expressed his gratification with the rapid and successful construction of the bridge.

Captain Mendell, with eight boats, built his bridge at Germanna Ford, and Captain Turnbull, with seven boats, built at Jacobs' Ford, about 1 mile above Germanna. I have since learned that they were both short of material, and were delayed in completing their bridges, although, in addition to the same number of boats that I retained, I had turned over to them the only trestles (two complete) that I had in my trains.

When we completed our bridges at this point there was but one practicable road down the hill (which is nearly as high as the hill at United States Ford), and the ascent on the opposite side was bad.

We have since completed three other good roads down the hill, opened another road from here to Richardsville, built another road up the hill on the opposite side of the river, and repaired the old ones, and have done a large amount of work to keep the bridge approaches good. This has involved the necessity of keeping all our officers and men incessantly at work, and the labor has been severe. I have received no orders to do this work, but I consider it my duty to provide every possible facility for the rapid passage of the trains whenever they shall be ordered forward, and also to provide for the possible contingency of the army retiring in haste to this side of the river, as at Chancellorsville.