return and pushed on to the church. I had been there but a moment and was endeavoring to find which road they had gone on when my intercepting party opened fire. I hurried to them and found them driving the enemy toward us. I formed one company in the road and, letting down the fence, placed a company on their left flank. When they came up resistance was impossible. They threw down their arms and surrendered.

We took 2 captains [Gray and Conner], 1 second lieutenant [Young], 19 privates and non-commissioned officers, 22 horses, some of them good; 23 stand of arms, shot-guns, sabers, and carbines, and 22 sets of horse equipments, good. We lost nothing and fired but a few shots. The troops were of Colonel Lay's [Tennessee] regiment.

The prisoners have already given you the only information my reconnaissance revealed.

The officers' horses I have returned to them. The horses and horse equipments I have taken up on my return as captured property. The arms are at your disposal.

I am, very truly, your obedient servant,

MINOR MILLIKEN,

Colonel First Ohio Cavalry.

Capt. WILLIAM KESLEY,

Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Div., Third Corps, Army of the Ohio.

P. S.-My force was Companies B, D, and G, First Battalion, numbering about 100 men.

OCTOBER 4, 1862.-Skirmish near Bardstown, Ky.

Report of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS, Bardstown, October 4, 1862.

GENERAL: Bardstown is in our possession, after a pretty sharp skirmish of our advance cavalry with Wharton's brigade.

I intended to have camped on Cox's Creek, 4 miles from here, but the cavalry were drawn into a fight by the rebels, which made it necessary to send assistance, when the enemy retired and yielded the town. We have several hundred prisoners sick in hospital, all of whom I will have paroled to-morrow.

It is supposed by the citizens that the infantry of Wharton's brigade has been cut off by the advance of our troops. I have disposed the troops so as to intercept them if possible, but I believe they have all escaped. The last of their infantry left this morning on the Springfield pike, and on another road, which the citizens call the Little Beech Fork road. A Dr. Cowan informed me that the adjutant of a Florida regiment told him that Bragg's force consisted of sixty-five regiments, aver aging 400 each, and that there was a great deal of sickness among them. The doctor is convinced that they are concentrating at Danville.

Bragg left here last Sunday morning for Danville and has not been back since. Polk left here this morning.

Very respectfully,
GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General.

General BUELL.

P. S.-We have some sick officers prisoners. The loss sustained by our cavalry was about 20 killed and wounded and a great many missing.