THEY ADVANCED THAT SOME FORCE WAS IN THEIR FRONT ON THE ROAD COVERED BY THE WOODS. THE SQUADRON NEVER FALTERED. THE ENEMY NOW OPENED A HEAVY FIRE FROM THEIR BATTERIES, BUT THE BOYS WENT GALLANTLY ON UNTIL THEY HAD NEARLY REACHED THE WOODS, WHEN THEY RECEIVED A TERRIFIC VOLLEY FROM A FORCE OF ABOUT 300 INFANTRY OR DISMOUNTED CAVALRY, UNDER COVER OF THE WOODS AND FENCE, WHICH COMPELLED THEM TO RETURN; NOT, HOWEVER, UNTIL THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED THEIR OBJECT, SO FAR AS TO CAPTURE 2 OF THE ENEMY, WHOM THEY BROUGHT BACK AS THEY RETIRED. SKIRMISHING CONTINUED UNTIL THE ENEMY WERE DRIVEN INSIDE THEIR WORKS AND SILENCED, WHEN WE WERE ORDERED BACK TO HAGERSTOWN. IN THE CHARGE CAPTAIN SCOFIELD WAS WOUNDED AND TAKEN PRISONER; AND LIEUTENANT NEWTON'S HORSE WAS HIT IN THE SHOULDER BY A MUSKETBALL, WHICH PASSED UP AND THROUGH THE SADDLE, GIVING THE LIEUTENANT A VERY NARROW ESCAPE WITH HIS LIFE. MY LOSS IN KILLED, WOUNDED, AND MISSING WAS 13 MEN AND 1 OFFICER. THIS AFFAIR, THOUGH NOT AS CONSIDERABLE AS MANY THE REGIMENT HAD BEFORE AND HAS SINCE PASSED THROUGH, WAS ONE WHICH TESTED THE SPIRIT AND METTLE OF THE MEN AND OFFICERS SEVERELY AND GAVE ME GOOD EARNEST FOR THE FUTURE. ADJUTANT GATES DID EFFICIENT SERVICE IN PROMPTLY COMMUNICATING MY ORDERS, AND MAJORS WELLS AND BENNETT SHOWED COOLNESS UNDER A SEVERE FIRE WHILE FORMING THEIR BATTALIONS TO COVER THEM FROM THE ENEMY'S BATTERIES. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PRESTON, HAVING BEEN ABSENT WHEN THE REGIMENT MOVED, DID NOT GO WITH US; BUT, RETURNING TO CAMP AND FINDING WE HAD GONE, FOLLOWED, AND ARRIVED IN SEASON TO RENDER ME IMPORTANT ASSISTANCE. NEXT MORNING WE FOLLOWED THE ENEMY TO WILLIAMSPORT, AND WERE IN RESERVE AT THE THRILLING AFFAIR AT FALLING WATERS. ON THE 15TH, WE RETURNED TO BOONSBOROUGH, AND NEXT DAY MARCHED TO HARPER'S FERRY, VIA BERLIN, AND ON THE 17TH CROSSED THE SHENANDOAH. PASSING DOWN THE SOUTH BANK OF THE POTOMAC, WE ARRIVED AT PURCELLVILLE ON THE 18TH. NEXT DAY MARCHED TO ASHBY'S GAP. ON THE 20TH, THE GAP WAS OCCUPIED BY OUR FORCES, AND WE RETURNED TO UPPERVILLE. ON THE 21ST, WE MARCHED TO SNICKERSVILLE, AND ON THE 22nd OCCUPIED THE GAP, AND HELD IT UNTIL THE NIGHT OF THE 23D, AND RETURNED TO UPPERVILLE. ON THE 24TH, MARCHED FROM UPPERVILLE AND CROSSED THE RAPPAHANNOCK, AND BIVOUACKED NEAR AMISSVILLE. ON THE 25TH, JOINED THE BRIGADE AT THAT PLACE, AND WAS IMMEDIATELY PLACED IN COMMAND, OF THE FIRST BRIGADE, OF KILPATRICK'S DIVISION, WHICH WAS ALREADY FORMED UPON OUR ARRIVAL TO THE FRONT. I HERE TURNED THE COMMAND OVER TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PRETON, AND EXCUSED IT FROM DUTY THAT DAY IN CONSIDERATION OF ITS RECENT GREAT FATIGUES, AND PROCEEDED WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE BRIGADE TO GAINES' CROSS-ROADS. I DID NOT AGAIN RETURN TO MY REGIMENT UNTIL AUGUST 22. I HAVE, HOWEVER, HAD COMMAND OF IT AS BRIGADE COMMANDER MEANTIME, YET ITS PARTICULAR AFFAIRS IN THIS INTERIM ARE MORE PROPERLY REPORTED TO YOU BY ITS THEN IMMEDIATE COMMANDER. I SHALL MAKE ITS OPERATIONS FROM AUGUST 22 TO SEPTEMBER 12 THE SUBJECT OF A SEPARATE REPORT.

VERY RESPECTFULLY, YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT,

EDWARD B. SAWYER,

COLONEL, COMMANDING.

PETER T. WASHBURN,

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL, STATE OF VERMONT.