distance of about 800 yards. Continued firing from this position until 4 p.m. with both guns. At this time we changed the position of one gun to the right about one-half mile, and opened on the rebel cavalry at a distance of about 1,900 yards.

At 5 o'clock the enemy opened fire with one gun, and I directed my fire upon it at a distance of 1,000 yards. At 5.30 o'clock ceased firing. Expended during the engagement 185 rounds. No loss of men or horses killed, wounded, or missing. No guns lost or damaged.

I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. ROGERS,

Lieutenant, Commanding Section.

Colonel CHARLES CANDY,

Commanding Det., 1st Brigadier, 2nd Div., 12th Army Corps.

Numbers 17. Report of Major General J. E. B. Stuart, C. S. Army, commanding expedition.*

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
February 15, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of an expedition undertaken in the latter part of December, 1862, while our army was at Fredericksburg, in the direction of Dumfries and Occoquan:

The force employed on this occasion consisted of select detachments from the brigades of Hampton, Fitz. Lee, and W. H. F. Lee, and numbered about 1,800 men and four pieces of the Stuart Horse Artillery. The brigades, after passing up and crossing the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, bivouacked in the vicinity of Morrisville, on the night of December 26. I directed General Hampton to move round to the left in the direction of Occoquna, while General Fitz. Lee aimed to strike the Telegraph road between Dumfries and Aquia, General W. H. F. Lee advancing between the two and by the road running along the right bank of the Quantico directly upon Dumfries, my object being to take possession of the Telegraph road, to capture all the trains that might be passing. General Fitz. Lee was ordered, after striking the Telegraph road, to sweep back toward Occoquan, so as to re-enforce the other brigades. Brigadier General W. H. F. Lee proceeded without meeting the enemy until the reached Wheat's Mill, where the Telegraph road crosses Quantico Creek. Here a picket of 12 of the enemy's infantry was encountered and charged by a squadron of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry, under Captain [S.] Bolling, the whole being captured. The squadron, supported by two others, immediately pushed across, but on reaching the suburbs of the town they were attacked by two regiments of infantry posted at the place and compelled to retire. As they moved back, a squadron of the enemy's cavalry advanced, but, being fired upon, retreated in confusion. At this stage of affairs I reached the scene of action and ordered up [M. W.] Henry's battery of horse artillery, which opened with canister upon the enemy's position, and drove them from it. They ten brought forward their artillery, and an engagement ensued between their battery and that under Captain Henry.

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*See General Orders Numbers 29, Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, February 28, 1863, "Correspondence, etc.," p. 1114.

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