HEADQUARTERS KIRBY SMITH'S BRIGADE,
Lebanon, Ky., September 11, 1862.

The evening of August 13 I left Kingston, Tenn., with the First Louisiana Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel [James O.] Nixon commanding; First Georgia Cavalry, Colonel [J. J.] Morrison, and the Buckner Guards, Captain Garnett, numbering in the aggregate 896, and passing through Montgomery and Jamestown, Tenn., Monticello and Somerset, Ky., reached London on the 17th. During the night of the 16th, when 25 miles from London, I learned that five companies of the Third* Tennessee Volunteers, U. S. Army, were stationed there. I selected 500 men from the command and made a forced march, reaching the town about 7 o'clock the next morning, when I attacked the place, and after a brief resistance by the enemy I captured it, killing 13, wounding 17, and taking 111 prisoners. My loss was 1 officer and 1 private killed; none wounded. I took a large number of wagons laden with quartermaster's and commissary stores, and a number of horses and mules, and several hundred stand of arms, all of which I have forwarded to you.

After leaving London I employed my command gathering mules, horses, and wagons that had been left along the road by the affrighted Federals from London to Mount Vernon and Richmond.

The evening of the 22d, learning that a train was coming (intended for the Gap), guarded by infantry and cavalry, I moved by command to meet them. My advance came upon them at Big Hill, 17 miles from Richmond, when the fight commenced, and resulted as stated in my former report.+

After driving in their pickets within 2 miles of Richmond the morning of the 24th and gathering up all trains, horses, and mules, I fell back slowly to the junction of the Wild Cat and Richmond roads, which I reached the evening of the 25th.

On the 27th the Third Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel [J. W.] Starnes, was added to my command, and I moved on in the direction of Richmond.

On the 29th I made a reconnaissance of the enemy with my whole command, and finding them in position about 3 miles from Richmond I fell back 4 miles to the infantry and reported to General Cleburne, who was command of the advance division.

On the morning of the 30th, in obedience to your orders, I passed around to the west of Richmond and took possession of the roads leading to Lexington. The majority of my forces were posted on the Lexington road and one company on the Lancaster road; the remainder between the two roads. About 4 o'clock stragglers from the battle-field commenced passing into my lines and gradually increased in numbers until 6 o'clock, when the main body of the enemy, apparently about 5,000 strong, with nine pieces of artillery, came upon us. My forces, being well ambuscaded, poured a destructive fire into their ranks, killing about 60 and wounding a large number-the firing commenced in obedience to my orders on the extreme left, extending to the right, which was nearest Richmond-after which almost the entire force immediately surrendered. Owing to the smallness of my force (about 850) I was unable to still guard the roads and remove all the prisoners to the rear, and consequently a large number escaped, wandering through

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*See September 17-October 3, 1862. Evacuation of Cumberland Gap, Tenn., and march of its garrison to Greenupsburg, Ky. Report of Brigadier General George W. Morgan, U. S. Army, p.922.

+See August 23, 1862. Action at Big Hill, Ky.

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