to harness up the battery horses and plundering my headquarters. We retook the Artillery, turned it upon the enemy about our headquarters, not twenty steps distant, and finally forced him out of the camp with great slaughter. We re-established our line and for an hour and a half foiled every attempt of the enemy to retake it. At about 8 o'clock General Mitchell with a brigade of infantry came within supporting distance, having rapidly marched to my assistance across the country from the plank road. He at once moved up in position and remained with me until 1. 30 o'clock, rendering every assistance possible. The enemy, however, did not make it necessary for the infantry to fire a single shot. General Mitchell has my thanks and deserves great credit for the rapid march over a broken country, the soldierly feeling displayed, and anxiety to assist me. We lost 4 officers killed and 7 wounded, 15 men killed and 61 severely and several slightly wounded, and 103 officers and men taken prisoners.

The enemy left in our camp upward of 80 killed, including many officers and a large number of men wounded. We captured 30 prisoners and 150 horses with their equipments.

This battle speaks for itself and needs no comment from me. I will simply add that less than one-third of my entire command was unexpectedly attacked before daylight by the entire rebel cavalry force led by Hampton in person, the pet and pride of the Southern chivalry, and no matter what the facts may be regarding the conduct of my people under the first terrible onset of the foe, they can proudly boast that without assistance they regained their camp, animals, Artillery, and transportation, and drove the enemy in confusion from the ground he had taken by surprise and force of numbers alone.

On the following day my command moved to Fayetteville, and on the morning of the 15th crossed Cape Fear River and moved out upon the road toward Raleigh, encountering the enemy in force six miles from Averasborough. Re-enforced by a brigade of infantry, my command remained in camp during the night within easy rifle-range of the enemy's pickets. At daylight the following morning I moved out in line of battle, the infantry having the center. The enemy's pickets were driven in and his skirmish line forced back to his main line of battle. After thoroughly reconnoitering the enemy's entire position I decided it was not prudent to attack, and sent back for infantry re-enforcements. In the meantime the enemy moved out of his works and furiously attacked the cavalry under Colonel Jones upon the right. This officer gallantly held his position until re-enforced by the brigades of Colonel Jordan and General Atkins, and after repulsing three determined attacks, charged in turn, driving the enemy back again behind his works. The Twentieth and Fourteenth Army Corps having come up and gone into position, in accordance with instructions from the general-in-chief, my cavalry operated upon the right throughout the day and, mounted and dismounted fought side by side with the infantry, and I am certain to their entire satisfaction. The following morning we crossed Black Creek and moved out upon the Smithville [Smithfield] road to the left and front of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Army Corps.

This was the last operation of the cavalry during the campaign worthy of notice. We were on the field ready and willing to participate in the battle of Bentonville, but the opportunity did not offer. After the enemy had been defeated and driven beyond Mill Creek, and the main army had moved to Goldsborough, my command moved to Mount Olive, on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, and there went into camp, and now remains resting from the long and arduous campaign through which it has so recently passed.