night, and into Saltville, and make a junction with Breckinridge, I pushed Burnbridge on to Abingdon, with direction for him to send a regiment from that point, with instructions to strike the railroad at some point between Saltville and Wytheville, the object being to prevent re-enforcements from reaching the salt-works from the direction of Lynchburg.

After having waiter at Bristol until Gillem's command had completed the destruction there, which had been commanded by Burbridge, started back the prisoners, &c., I left with Gillem and reached Abingdon about daylight on the morning of the 15th. There learning that Vaughn was moving up on a road parallel with and running eight or ten miles from the one we were on, I pushed Gillem on to Glade Springs, Burbridge following a few hours afterward, the whole command spending the fore part of the night at that point. At 2 a. m. of the 16th we were again in motion. I was informed that the Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry, the regiment sent ahead from Abington, had passed the day previous and was pushing on, after having threatened the salt works and cut-off and destroyed two railroad trains, which had brought Breckinridge with a battery of artillery and re-enforcements down from Wythesville.

The question with me now was, whether to move on the salt-works and attempt to capture and destroy them first, or to pass them by with the main force, threatening them with a brigade, and to endeavor to capture or disperse Vaughn, destroy the railroad as far as possible, destroy Wytheville and the lead-works an New River, and, returning take the salt-works at our leisure. I decided o the later.

Gillem was directed to push on, try and overtake Vaughan, and, if he should, to pursue him to Wythewille or beyond. By his request I re-enforced him with two regiments from Burbridge, the Eleventh Kentucky and the Eleventh Michigan, threatened the salt-works with Wade's brigade, and moved on to Marion with the rest of the command., Gillem struck Vaughn at Marion early in the morning of the 16th, attacked, routed, and pursued him to Wytheville, which point he reached about dark. Vaughn escaped with about 200 of his men, leaving in the hands of Gillem's troops all his artillery and trains and 198 prisoners of war.

Wade's brigade having come up, and our horses having been well fed, 1, with Burbridge's command, moved at 11 p. m. and reached Mont Airy before of the 17th. Here I detached Colonel Buckley with his brigade, with instructions to move as rapidly as his horses would carry him, to lead mines,a bout twenty-five or thirty of miles distant, to make a complete destruction of everything that was destructible, and return by another route to Seven-Mile Ford, some miles this side of Marion, and there await orders. During the night of the 16th Gillem complete the destruction of Wytheville, and the stores and supplies of all kinds therein, and having sent a portion of his command to Reedy Creek, thirteen miles beyond Wytheville, and destroyed the important railroad bridges over that steam, rejoined me at Mount Airy early in the forenoon of the 17th. The only thing now left for us to do was the destruction of the far-famed salt-works.

The command of Giltner, Cosby, and Wither had been for some time in Tazewell Country, waiting to open up a communication with the cavalry of Forrest thorough Middle Tennessee. These commands had been recalled by Breckinridge, and, united with the remnant of Duke's and such home guard as were available, constituted the garrison of Saltville. Home he remained with force within the very strong fortifications which surrounded the salt-works is would been very