tinued. The major commanding succeeding in rallying but once, and then only for a moment and to no purpose, through he and most of his subordinates used the utmost endeavors to quiet the men and give the enemy battle, which must have resulted favorably, as our force was the greater.

The conduct of my cavalry, except the New York and Pennsylvania companies that left the Valley road beyond Strasburg, was disgraceful and cowardly.

The casualties have not yet been learned, but are considerable, mostly in captures of men horses. The enemy pursued my retreating force to Middletown. There they left off the pursuit, and returned. I had prepared, upon learning of the disaster, an ambuscade of on regiment of infantry and two pieces of artillery for the enemy at Kernstown, but field to draw then into it.

Sent a company of cavalry to Berry's Ferry to-day. They saw 15 of the enemy's cavalry on the opposite side of the river, and learned that 6 had been there on yesterday. I also sent a cavalry scout to Wardensville to-day. It will on to-morrow.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. MILROY,

Brigadier-General.

Brigadier General B. F. KELLEY.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,
Baltimore, Md., March 3, 1863.

Respectfully returned through Brigadier-General Kelley to Brigadier-General Milroy, to be sent back whenever a more definite report can be furnished in officers, men, and horses.

The conduct of the companies of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, who were driven by the enemy, appears to the general commanding to have been disgraceful in the extreme, and should be censured as of this character in a general order by the commander of the division, and also, if, upon inquiry, is should be ascertained that any of the officers behaved with marked cowardice or other misconduct, they should be made the subject of proper punishment.

By command of Major-General Schenck:

WD. D. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILROY'S DIVISION,
Winchester, Va., March 2, 1863.

GENERAL: i submit the following report of the affair of the 26th ultimo:

About 4 o'clock in the morning of that day, a rebel cavalry force, variously estimated as numbering from 50 to 100, approached our pickets at the junction of Cedar Run and Strasburg roads, with the manifests intention of forcing them and making a dash into town. The picket-guards fired a volley into them, unhorsing 1 (whom we captured) and severely wounding 2 others. The rebels then retreated precipitously on the Strasburg road, and fell in with one of my vedettes, of which they captured 6.

These facts were reported tome within thirty minutes of their occurrence. I immediately ordered Major Adams, commanding the First