Numbers 213. Report of Colonel Thomas J. Jordan, Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding First Brigade, of operations January 28-March 24.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, CALVARY COMMAND,
Mount Olive, N. C., March 28, 1865.

SIR: I respectfully report that on the 28th day of January, 1865, the First Brigade of Cavalry, under my command, consisting of the Eighth Indiana, Ninth Pennsylvania, Second and Third Kentucky Cavalry, a section of a howitzer battery, and a section of the Tenth Wisconsin Battery, comprising an aggregate force of 1,408 effective men, broke camp by order of Major-General Kilpatrick, and marched from Anderson's farm, near Savannah, on the most direct road toward Sister's Ferry, on the Savannah River about forty-five miles northwest of Savannah, at which point we arrived on the 31st of January. During all this march my brigade had charge of the wagon train of the division, which owing to the swampy condition of the country, and the bad roads, consequent upon the long spell of rainy weather previous to our marching, was anything but a pleasant undertaking.

On the 3rd day of February, my brigade having the advance, the pontoon bridge being completed and the corduroy road, by which the high lands of South Carolina could be reached, being partially completed, I crossed the Savannah and encamped for the night at Robertsville, S. C. From this, by daily marches through Allendale, Lawtonville, and Barnwell, we struck the railroad leading from Charleston to Augusta on the morning of the 7th of February at Blackville, S. C., attacking and driving from the town Hagan's brigade of rebel cavalry, and with the Second Kentucky. Lieutenant-Colonel Star, and one company of the Ninth Pennsylvania, Captain E. A. Hancock, pursued them for three miles, when, finding the enemy re-enforced by a brigade of rebel cavalry under Brigadier-General Dibrell, I withdrew my men from the pursuit and encamped at Reynolds' farm, one mile and a half from town, on the Orangeburg road. In this action we captured fourteen prisoners, besides killing and wounding a large number of the enemy. My advance guard on this occasion was composed of a squadron of the Third Kentucky Cavalry, Captain J. M. Thomas commanding to whom great credit is due for his gallantry during the engagement. During the remainder of the day we held possession of Blackville, destroying the railroad track, and on the 8th, about noon, marched (having the rear of division) to Williston, where we encamped for the night, after slight skirmishing by the Second Kentucky Cavalry with a part of Hagan's brigade on our right flank. During the night we destroyed more than a mile of the railroad at that point, burning the ties and twisting the rails so as to render them hereafter useless. The next day we marched to Windsor and encamped three miles in advance of the division toward Johnson's Station, and on the following morning, by order of Major-General Kilpatrick, marched toward Aiken, skirmishing sharply with a portion of Anderson's division, of Wheeler's cavalry, driving them from their barricades and forcing them back till within two miles of Aiken. Finding at Johnson's Station that the enemy in my front consisted of Anderson's and Young's divisions, of Wheeler's cavalry, largely outnumbering me, and that Wheeler with the remainder of his forces, was hourly expected at Aiken, if he had not already arrived, I called in my advance, and

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