and were armed. Lieutenant Porter, the wagon-master, and 3 men were immediately mounted and taken through a gate, passing about 200 yards up a creek and then into a corn-field; from there they were hurried forward, avoiding roads,&c., until about 1 o'clock in the morning. They were halted on the bank of Elk River, about 1 mile below where the mulberry empties into it. A fire was built and their captors informed them that they were going to camp for the night.

Their hands were tied behind them; everything of value was taken from them. They were then drawn up in line 4 or 5 steps in front of their captors;one of them, who acted as leader, command "Ready"; the whole party immediately fired. One of the men was shot through the head and killed, as supposed, instantly; 3 were wounded. Lieutenant Porter was not hit, and immediately broke and ran. He was followed and fired at by one of the party three times. He reports that he saw that he would be overtaken,and changed his course and ran to the river and threw himself over a precipice into the water. Having succeeded in getting his hands loose, he swam to the opposite shore; was fired at five or six times while he was the water. He secreted himself under the bank of the river. His captors swam their horsed across the and made search for him, but failed to find him. He afterward made his way up the river about three fourths of a mile and swam back again. He lay in the woods the remainder of the night and the next day. On the night of the 24th, he traveled about a mile and got to a house. The party sent out me on yesterday brought him in. He is now lying in a critical condition owing to the exposure, cold, fatigue, &c.

He reports that he would know his captors should he see them again, one of whom is believed to be a man by the name of tulle, living near Lynchburg; another a Bowne,who is a deserter from the rebel army and has been during the fall and winter with guerrillas. A third man rode a bay stallion and is known to the citizens of Mulberry; his name I have not yet learned. The men who were shot were immediately thrown into the river,one of whom was supposed to have been killed, and one from the nature of the wounds and his appearance after the body was recovered, is supposed to have been drowned. The hands of these two men were found tied behind them when taken out of the river; the other two men succeeded in losing their hands and got of the river, one of whom has died since; the hospital at this place; wound not considered necessarily mortal.

The names of the murdered men are as follows: John W. Drought and George W. Jacobs, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers (these men were temporarily attached to the Ninth Ohio Battery); Theovel E. Orcutt, Ninth Ohio Battery, Wounded and since died; James W. Foley, Ninth Ohio Battery, Wounded and now in the hospital at this place. The three first named are men of families in destitute circumstances. The latter has an aged mother destitute, depending upon him for support.

Respectfully,

S. COLGROVE,

Colonel, Commanding Post,

Captain WM. RUGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General,