composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery . It did not appear, however, that he had placed himself in a position to ascertain the number or character of the force which he had encountered, or exercised the usual and necessary efforts to obtain that essential information. Officers of his command and reliable scouts who were present gave contradictory reports. This report was discredited by myself and by General Elliott, my second in command. There was nothing in the report which indicated the presence of General Lee's army . It was supposed that the force on the Front Royal road could not be other than the enemy which we had faced during the occupancy of Winchester, or that the anticipated cavalry raid of General Stuart was in progress, against either or both of which combined I could have held my position. I deemed it impossible that Lee's army with its immense artillery and baggage trains, could have escaped from the Army of the Potomac, and crossed the Blue Ridge through Ashby's, Chester, and Thornton Gaps in concentric columns. The movement must have occupied five or six days, and notice of its being in progress could have been conveyed to me from General Hooker's headquarters in five minutes, for telegraphic communication still existed between Baltimore and Winchester . On Friday night I doubled my pickets and kept out strong patrols of cavalry on the leading roads, and I also sent a messenger to Colonel McReynolds, at Berryville, notifying him that the enemy was reported to be in considerable force on the Front Royal road. I instructed him to keep a strong party of observation in the direction of Millwood; to place his command in readiness to move at a moment's warning ; if attacked by a superior force, to fall back upon Winchester by the route which he might deem most practicable, and that if his command should be needed at Winchester, he would be notified by four discharges from the large guns at the main fort at Winchester. The whole Brigade, Brig. General W. L. Elliott commanding -One hundred and tenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Keifer; One hundred and sixteenth regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Washburn; One hundred and twenty second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Ball; One hundred and twenty - third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Wilson; Thirteenth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Galligher ; Twelfth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Moss, and Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Randolph. The second Brigade, Colonel Ely, Eighteenth Connecticut, Commanding-The Eighty-seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Schall ; Twelfth Regiment West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Klunk; Eighteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Nichols; Fifth Regiment Maryland Volunteer Infantry, Captain Holton; Battery D, First West Virginia Artillery, Captain Carlin; Company k, First West Virginia Cavalry, Lieutenant Dawson, and Companies D and E, Third West Virginia Cavalry, Captain White. The heavy guns of the main fortifications -consisting of four 20-pounder Parrots and two 24-pounder howitzers -were served by a company of the Fourteenth [First]Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, commanded Friday morning's return, 6, 900 effective men.