force near Big Creek Gap, which place he afterward blockaded. Captain Adams, the faithful and energetic commissary, had sent forward to Booneville and Proctor to obtain supplies, and, as the road diverged at Morris' farm, I sent the brigades of Baird and Carter via Booneville and those of Spears and De Courcy directly to Proctor. A brigade of cavalry, under General John H. Morgan, now commenced to annoy us, and, the night before our arrival, burned the steam-mill at Proctor; but upon our approach Morgan discovered that I was about to surround him and made a precipitate retreat. Already the troops had suffered greatly for want of water, but the route to Hazel Green was still more difficult. The ridge was almost entirely destitute of water, and where it did exist it was found in small quantities in holes down 80 or 100 feet among cliffs. The North Fork road had been destroyed by the spring and winter rains, but war was plentiful. I determined to advance in parallel columns, and directed Spears and De Courcy to march by the ridge and Baird and Carter by the North Fork road. Thanks to the skill and devotion of Captain Patterson, and to the officer-like bearing of the brigade commanders, regimental officers, and the heroic endurance of the soldiers,all of these terrible difficulties were nobly met and overcome, and the advance brigade halted one day at Hazel Green. At this place we captured two rebel officers. Morgan had already attacked us on the flank and rear, and now passed to our front and commenced a more serious system of annoyance, by blockading the narrow ridges and deep defiles which abound on that almost impracticable route.

After a day's rest the column was again put in motion toward West Liberty, where we expected to meet Humphrey Marshall, as we had been informed that he had left Mount Sterling with his command on the Saturday night previous and that on the day following Kirby Smith arrived with a column at that place. On this march the enemy's cavalry attacked the rear of De Courcy's brigade and scattered eighty or a hundred of our cattle. The cavalry soldiers dismounted and skirmished as infantry, but not until six horses and their riders were stretched upon the ground.

At West Liberty I halted for two days to concentrate my command and await Humphrey Marshall; but our scouts and spies penetrated in every direction without learning anything of his position. We had now cut his line, and occupied a central position between his divided forces. A portion of his command from Virginia arrived within 15 miles of West Liberty, but on learning of our approach rapidly retreated. The column now moved toward Grayson. In several places the roads were heavily obstructed by timber, and in one instance we were compelled to make a detour and construct a new road. Whenever opportunity offered we assumed the offensive and attacked the enemy while engaged in blockading the road. On three successive evenings so closely did we push him that we drove him from his hot supper. Morgan left Grayson late on the afternoon of October 1st and our advance reached there at 11 o'clock the same night. Here he ceased to annoy us.

Our loss, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, is about 80 men. His exact loss I do not know, but from the bloody evidences which were found in the positions occupied by his troops his loss must have been double our own.

On October 3 my column reached Greenupsburg, on the Ohio River. I had sent forward Captains Garber and Patterson to procure transportation for the passage of the river,which was effected in good order.

Colonel Byrd, of the First Tennessee, forded the river with the trains