further use for cavalry in this valley, and, unless I receive orders to the contrary, will leave for Mississippi in about a week. My horses need shoes and resting. Am having my command filled up as rapidly as possible. It would not be prudent for me to cross the Tennessee now with my present force and the dispositions of the enemy. Their main cavalry force from what I can learn is in the vicinity of Huntsville, and at last accounts the cars were running from Stevenson to Paint Rock, and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad was strongly guarded by troops from Meade's army.

I am, colonel, yours, respectfully,

STEPHEN D. LEE,

Major-General.

Colonel B. S. EWELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Meridian, Miss.

OCTOBER 22, 1863.-Skirmish near Volney, Ky.

Report of Colonel Cicero Maxwell, Twenty-sixth Kentucky Infantry, commanding District of Southwestern Kentucky.

HDQRS. U. S. FORCES, SOUTHWESTERN KENTUCKY,
Bowling Green, Ky., October 24, 1863.

CAPTAIN: On Thursday morning last I received information at Russellville, where I was, on my way to Hopkinsville, that 45 or 50 guerrillas were a few miles south of that place, robbing loyal people. I started immediately with a small squad of the Third Kentucky Cavalry, sent to accompany me to Hopkinsville, and some mounted men of the Twenty-sixth Kentucky Volunteers and Sixty New Hampshire Volunteers, numbering in all about 40, in search of the guerrillas. Shortly after leaving Russellville 6 miles, early in the morning, robbed several stores, shot and badly wounded an old citizen named Criswell, and had started back with their booty toward Tennessee by the same route they had come.

We soon got on their track, and came up with them a short distance southeast of Volney, in Logan County. Our men fired on them, but without waiting to return the fire, the guerrillas fled in great disorder, throwing away their booty, guns, &c., and many of them leaving their horses and escaping into the woods. We pursued them for 30 miles without stopping, our men overtaking and firing on them occasionally, until just below Mitchellsville, in Tennessee, all that then remained together scattered into the woods and eluded farther pursuit. They were completely routed and dispersed, several being killed and wounded. Our men also captured several prisoners, a number of horses, guns, pistols, &c. In their flight the thieves threw away their ill-gotten booty, and the road for miles was strewn with boots, shoes, hats, and various other articles of merchandise. They were under the command of one Captain Dyer.

One of our men, Jack Anderson, Twenty-sixth Kentucky, who behaved with great gallantry and bravery, was pretty severely wounded, but I hope not dangerously. Our men all behaved very well. Lieutenant Poindexter and [Corpl.] Thomas R. Blakey, formerly of the Eighth Kentucky Cavalry, though out of service, volunteered,