the left-hand road, which comes right along the foot of Taylor's Ridge for some 3 miles before you arrive at the point where it is intersected by the other road. After arriving here I came to the conclusion that I was most too close to our lines, and I took a road directly east. Following a ridge for some 2 miles I went into the road going to Hambright's.

About this time I heard some skirmishing to my left and front. I started as near the direction as the nature of the country would admit of, and traveled on the road leading to Hambright's some 3 miles. The county was very rough, the road running down on a backbone of a ridge for some 2 miles. On either side of the road is a precipitous descent. I traveled some 3 miles on this road, when I ran up near to a rebel picket post on ridge that first post seen was on. This post was also in a gap, and the road leading into it was completely blockaded with fallen trees. While at the gap last mentioned, after I had been in front of the rebel pickets some minutes, there seemed to be a commotion at post, and I saw a good deal moving to and from on the ridge; also heard distinctly drums beating just inside the gap where the enemy's pickets were. I went as near to the post as I could without unnecessarily exposing my men to fire, in hopes that when they saw my numbers they would pursue.

After remaining some ten minutes in front of this post, and knowing no other road by which I could come to the Stone Church, where I was ordered to report, I came immediately back the road where I had left Taylor's Ridge and came down at the foot of the ridge to Ringgold. Upon arriving at the gap I learned that you had passed in with your command, and I reported my command to these headquarters.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. W. WARD,

Captain Third Kentucky Cavalry.

Brigadier General J. KILPATRICK.

Numbers 3. Report of Brigadier General Absalom Baird, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps.

HDQRS. THIRD DIVISION, FOURTEENTH CORPS,
Ringgold, Ga., April 29, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that having learned yesterday from General Kilpatrick that he had received from General Thomas directions to attack and harass the pickets of the enemy as much as possible, and finding him, and indeed the whole o his command, from their recent arrival here, ignorant of the county and of the position of the enemy's troops, I thought that a proposition made by him to drive down impetuously upon the direct road to Tunnel Hill, surprising the pickets and reserves, and chasing them as far as possible, even into the headquarters of General Wheeler if he could, promised more for a first attempt than anything else.

I concurred in it, and to make him the more secure in case the rebels should turn upon him with very superior force, I sent Colonel Van Derveer along with four regiments and a section of artillery as a support. General Kilpatrick took out about 500 men. They came