that a party of rebels, about 18 or 20, were coming, upon which information the whole command was drawn up in line to await their coming, taking care that everything was in readiness to give them a good reception.

They remained in this manner some ten minutes, when a party (afterward ascertained to number 17 men) came charging down the road from the gap on the men drawn up in line. The sergeant in charge let them come within good carbine shot, when he gave the men orders to fire and immediately ordered a charge with drawn sabers, by which he succeeded in driving the enemy back into the gap; but hardly had he reached the rise of the hill when he found that another party (afterward ascertained to be 6 men) charged his rear, and on finding himself assailed both in front and rear he at once determined to cut his way through those in his rear and, if possible, reach Hillsborough; but on driving the party of 6 men through town the party who first came from the gap once more charged him, and a third party (afterward ascertained 8 men) came from the right of the town, and all concentrated their fire on the little party, who now became reduced by the loss of 2 killed in the first and second charges, but determined to either die or conquer (say the citizens of Snickersville). they fought on with nothing but the saber, while the enemy had 2 to their 1 man each man being armed with two revolvers and many with carbines. Then, to recapitulate, 22 of my men were assailed (according to the brest information) by 32 of the enemy armed with two revolvers and a saber each, while to complete their armament quite a number were armed with good carbines, while my men had but two revolvers in the whole command and without a carbine that was good for anything. To illustrate, in the firs volley out of seventeen carbines that there were in line and tried to be fired only four went off, although they were carefully loaded on the ground while awaiting the attack.

The casualties by these four shots to the enemy were as follows: Three saddles were emptied and 1 horse shot. My informants (the inhabitants) could or would not tell me whether the men were killed or not who were thus thrown from their saddles, but I afterward ascertained from a negro that 3 men were carried up the mountain, he thought dead. One was carried into a house badly, if not mortally, wounded, thus making a loss to the enemy of 3 (supposed to be) killed and 1 wounded, while the loss sustained by my men was 4 killed (1 of whom was said to have ben killed after surrendering), 2 wounded, 10 prisoners, and 3 missing, making in all 19 men, horses, and equipments complete. Two horses and equipments were afterward picked up by command of Captain Banks and turned over to me, making the total loss of horses and horse equipments 17,3 of which horses were killed in the streets of Snickersville and 3 or 4 others badly wounded, which were taken off by the enemy. I lost otherwise 19 sabers and belts, 19 carbines complete, and 3 revolvers, which my men borrowed before starting out.

After gaining all the information possible, and providing for the wounded of my company, I took the bodies of my men who were killed and returned to Hillsborough, where I reported to you (Major Wells) on the night of the 6th instant at 10 p. m., nothing having transpired more than is herein mentioned.

To conclude, I would commend to you notice Orderly Sergt. Alfred H. Cain, who, although going contrary to orders (in my opinion not