HEADQUARTERS, Milford, March 8, 1864.

MAJOR: At 11 a. m. on the 29th ultimo I received a dispatch from one of my scouts conveying information which I embodied in the following dispatch to Major-General Stuart, dated Milford, 11. 30 a. m.:

Sergeant Shadbourne reports enemy moving. Gregg moved to front Thursday. Tuesday whole army paid off and prepared to move. Last night Kilpatrick received marching orders; three days' rations. Passed Sheppard's, near Madden's. Supposed to be coming to Ely's Ford. Part of Second Corps on same road. Whole army seems in motion. Sutlers and women ordered to rear. Acknowledge receipt of this.

At 12. 30 I sent the following message to General Stuart:

Citizens report to General Young a Yankee cavalry brigade at Mount Pleasant, moving toward Central road. No report from pickets.

Not hearing from General Stuart, at 10. 30 p. m. I sent this message to him:

Enemy were at Beaver Dam at 7 o'clock. North Carolina brigade has moved down with artillery. Have ordered Maryland cavalry to join me. Young at Spottsylvania Court-House. Have received nothing from you.

These dispatches gave all the information I had received of the movements of the enemy. As soon as you could learn what direction the enemy had taken I sent all the mounted men from the North Carolina brigade who were present-253 from the First North Carolina and 53 from the Second-with Hart's battery, to Mount Carmel Church.

On the morning of the 1st I joined the command and took it to Hanover Court-House. Not hearing of the enemy here, I moved to Hughes' Cross-Roads, deeming that an important point, and one at which he would be likely to cross. When the column arrived here the camp-fires of the enemy could be seen in the direction of Atlee's Station, as well as to my right, on the telegraph or the Brook road. I determined to strike at the party near Atlee's, and with that view moved down to the station, where we met the pickets of the enemy. I would not allow their fire to be returned, but quietly dismounted 100 men, and supporting them with the cavalry, ordered Colonel Cheek to move steadily on the camp of the enemy, while two guns were opened on them at very short range. The attack was made with great gallantry, the men proving by their conduct that they were fully equal to the most proving by their conduct that they were fully equal to the most difficult duty of soldiers-a night attack-while officers and men behaved in a manner that not only met but surpassed my highest expectations.

The enemy, a brigade strong here, with two other brigades immediately in their rear, made a stout resistance for a short time, but the advance of my men was never checked and they were soon in possession of the entire camp, in which horses, arms, rations, and clothing were scattered about in confusion. Kilpatrick immediately moved his division off at a gallop, leaving one wagon with horses hitched to it and one caisson full of ammunition. these were taken possession of by Colonel Bradley Johnson, who came up to that point in the morning from Meadow Bridge and found them abandoned. He also picked up a good many prisoners whose horses had been captured in the night attack and who were cut off from their command. Owing to the extreme darkness of the night (for the attack was made in a snow-storm) I could not push on till daylight, when I found the enemy had rapidly retreat down the Peninsula. We