immediately, and sent a re-enforcement to retake the position, but before they arrived the mill was in flames and the enemy gone. I passed over the ground on which this rout occurred the next morning and found it covered with abandoned overcoats, knapsacks, canteens, &c., in abundance. Some of the men were then carrying off muskets which they had thrown away in their flight the night before.

When the enemy appeared on the Harlan road (on the north side of the mountain) a portion of the Sixty-second North Carolina Regiment occupied the rifle-pits in support of one section of my battery, in which position, from personal observation, I do not hesitate to say that their disorderly conduct and obvious want of confidence in themselves destroyed all hope of getting effective service out of them. Anarchy and confusion was supreme among them throughout that portion of the line. Desertions from this regiment were of daily occurrence and its morale very bad.

On August 30, when General Buckner ordered evacuation prior to the surrender, Colonel Slemp's regiment of mounted infantry was ordered to turn over to me for artillery service 100 of its best horses, but when the men were drawn up to enable me to make the selection nearly half of them were found to be absent without leave and the balance of them almost mutinous. Many of them abused their officers in the most unmeasured terms, and swore they would quit the service if their horses were taken from them. Much other abusive language toward both the officers and Government of the Confederate States was used by them also, but is not remembered with sufficient distinctness to repeat in detail.

THOS. O'CONNER,

Lieutenant, Commanding Kain's Artillery.

Captain C. W. FRAZER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, C. S. Army.

Numbers 34.

Reports of Brigadier General John S. Williams, C. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Abingdon, Va., October 23, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following brief account of the operations of the troops under my command during the recent campaign in East Tennessee from the time I left Zollicoffer, by your order, on September 27, to proceed to Jonesborough, until the time of your arrival at Abingdon:

I moved from the neighborhood of Blountsville on September 28, and reached Jonesborough the next morning at 8 o'clock, when we met the enemy's outpost, which we attacked, capturing a portion of them, with the horses and equipments of the entire party. The enemy hastily threw himself into position, and gave us battle on the wooded heights around Jonesborough. After two hours' sharp fighting he gave way and fell back to Leesburg. Only a portion of the forces on either side was engaged.

In this engagement the enemy had General Carter's brigade of