IN THIS CHARGE, CAPTAIN PARSONS, COMPANY L, CAPTAIN CUSHMAN, COMPANY E, AND LIEUTENANT CHEENEY, COMPANY C, WERE SEVERELY WOUNDED.

VERY RESPECTFULLY, YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT,

A. W. PRESTON,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, COMMANDING FIRST VERMONT CAVALRY.

Captain L. SIEBERT,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

HARTWOOD CHURCH, VA.,

AUGUST 7, 1863.

SIR: I HAVE THE HONOR TO REPORT THAT, HAVING BEEN ORDERED BY GENERAL KILPATRICK AT 12 O'CLOCK ON THE MORNING OF JULY 5, AT MONTEREY, MD., TO PROCEED WITH MY COMMAND TO SMITHSBURG AND DESTROY SUCH OF THE ENEMY'S TRAINS AS COULD BE FOUND IN THE VICINITY, I MOVED RAPIDLY TO THE POINT DIRECTED, ARRIVING THERE AT 3 A. M. NOT FINDING ANYTHING HERE, I MOVED TO LEITERSBURG, 5 MILES DISTANT, WHERE I INTERCEPTED AND CAPTURED 100 PRISONERS, COMPRISING CAVALRY AND INFANTRY, AND ONE DROVE OF CATTLE AND MANY WAGONS. A LARGE TRAIN OF THE ENEMY HAVING PASSED TWO HOURS PREVIOUS, I REPORTED THE SAME TO THE GENERAL COMMANDING, AND PRESSED ON AS FAR AS HAGERSTOWN, 6 MILES. NOT SUCCEEDING IN OVERTAKING THEM, AND HAVING MARCHED OUR HORSES THIRTY-SIX HOURS WITH SCARCELY ANY FOOD OR REST, I WENT INTO CAMP NEAR HAGERSTOWN, THROWING OUT STRONG PICKETS. LEARNING THAT THE REBEL GENERAL JENKINS WAS APPROACHING ON THE GREENCASTLE ROAD, I REPORTED THE SAME TO THE GENERAL COMMANDING AT SMITHSBURG, AND RECEIVED ORDERS TO JOIN HIM AT BOONSBOROUGH, WHICH I DID THE SAME NIGHT. I LOST MANY HORSES, WORN OUT BY FATIGUE AND WANT OF FOOD.

VERY RESPECTFULLY, YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT,

A. W. PRESTON,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, COMMANDING FIRST VERMONT CAVALRY.

Captain L. SIEBERT,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

HARTWOOD CHURCH, VA.,

AUGUST 7, 1863.

SIR: I HAVE THE HONOR TO REPORT THAT IN THE ENGAGEMENT AT HAGERSTOWN, JULY 6, THE FIRST VERMONT CAVALRY WAS DISPOSED AS FOLLOWS: THE FIRST BATTALION, UNDER CAPTAIN SCOFIELD, WERE DEPLOYED AS SKIRMISHERS ON THE EXTREME RIGHT OF THE TOWN, AND SUCCEEDED IN DRIVING THE ENEMY FROM A STRONG POSITION BEHIND A HOUSE, AND OCCUPIED IT. COMPANIES A AND D, UNDER CAPTAIN CUMMINGS AND LIEUTENANT EDWARDS, WERE SENT INTO THE TOWN, AND SUCCEEDED IN HOLDING A POSITION THERE UNTIL ORDERED IN THE AFTERNOON TO RETIRE. IN SO DOING, 16 OF MY MEN WERE CUT OFF, BUT WERE SECRETED BY THE UNION CITIZENS UNTIL OUR TROOPS REOCCUPIED THE PLACE ON THE 12TH INSTANT. THE SECOND BATTALION AND ONE SQUADRON OF THE THIRD BATTALION REMAINED IN LINE IN REAR OF THE TOWN. WHEN OUR FORCES RETIRED FROM HAGERSTOWN IN THE AFTERNOON, I WAS ORDERED BY COLONEL RICHMOND, COMMANDING BRIGADE, TO ACT AS REAR GUARD, AND I DISPOSED MY COMMAND ACCORDINGLY. WE WERE SEVERELY PRESSED IN FRONT AND ON THE RIGHT FLANK BY THE ENEMY, AND TWICE WE WERE NEARLY SURROUNDED.