foot. The country on top of the mountain is barren and sandy, being cultivated but little. A good stream of water, called Little River, is to be found upon the top of the mountain suitable for infantry camping grounds. There is not a sufficiency of grain near to make it available for cavalry.

Broomtown Valley is represented as from 5 to 10 miles wide and 50 miles long, very fertile, with abundance of water and plenty of grain.

Very respectfully,your obedient servant,

GEORGE CROOK,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major W. H. SINCLAIR,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION, Camp near Washington, East Tenn., September 29, 1863.

MAJOR: In obedience to the circular issued by the general commanding the department, dated September, 1863, requiring reports of operations since leaving Stevenson, I have the honor to make the following report of the cavalry under my command during that period:

On the 2nd of September, I left camp at Widow's Creek with Colonel Long's brigade, consisting of First, Third, and Fourth Ohio, and Second Kentucky Regiments, and Stokes' battery, and marched into Will's Valley. From this point I made several small expeditions.

On the 9th of September, my command, being the advance General Stanley's expedition into Broomtown Valley, met the enemy at Alpine, where a skirmish ensued; the enemy retreated toward Rome; my loss there was 3 killed and 11 wounded; could not tell what damage was done to the enemy.

On the 13th of September, General Stanley being sick, I was ordered with all the cavalry force to make a reconnaissance to La Fayette, to ascertain what force the enemy had at that place. I sent Colonel McCook with two brigades to march on La Fayette by the Summerville road, when I would march with the other two brigades on the direct road, intending the two commands to march abreast. Colonel McCook, meeting too heavy a force, swung around on my road in my rear. (See his report.)

With my column I struck their pickets some 10 miles from La Fayette, driving them steadily without firing, until within some 3 1/2 miles of town, when I saw by their actions I was near their force, and I ordered a regiment to charge and pick up their pickets, when Colonel Campbell, at the head of the Ninth Pennsylvania, made a most gallant charge and picked up all the pickets in front of their line of battle. They fired several volleys into him, but the dust was so thick that there were only 3 wounded and 2 missing. He brought out 17 of their pickets. From this point I found General Mitchell, who ordered me to take post at once in front of the fords of the Chickamauga and hold that point at all hazards. The only point I could occupy was a thick, rocky woods