sent out a detachment of 20 men with 2 guides, and ordered them to take two different roads, hoping that one or the other would come upon them. Corporal Philliber with 10 men surrounded the house where two of the scoundrels lived, named Vernon. Having searched the house several times before unsuccessfully they did not much expect to find them; 5 of them got to the house a little before the others and were fired upon by 4 guerrillas from the house, and E. C. Edwards was killed and Henry P. Bronson mortally wounded (since died). The rebels then dashed out and took the brush close by, and a desperate fight of some minutes took place, and the rebels were repulsed until my men took care of the dead and wounded; they thought 1 or 2 of the rebels were killed, but the brush was so thick they could not tell certain. One of my men came in for help, and I sent Lieutenant Calvert with 15 men and 4 or 5 armed citizens immediately to their rescue. When he arrived there it was dark. Edwards and Bronson were put in a wagon and brought into town. The remainder then went to watch for the scoundrels, when they were fired upon from an ambush, and Corpl. Thomas M. Philliber and a citizen named Hughes severely wounded, and perhaps will die. They were put in a wagon and the whole party came back, not knowing how much injury was in flicked upon the enemy, it being impossible to do anything with them in the brush. I then started yesterday morning with 20 men and a few citizens and gave the country a thorough scouring, brush and all. I found 4 horses tied in the thick brush back of Vernon's house, 2 of them saddled ready to mount. I felt sure I would find them there, but did not. I burned the house and all the buildings on the place, and to-day have the rebel citizens (their connection) hauling in a lot of corn there was on the place.

The wife of one of the sound real told my men when they first rode up that there was no one in the house, which I suppose caused them to be more careless then they would have been. I have ordered her to leave the country; if it was not for the name of the thing, I would shoot her sure, for she murdered those men.

I intend to burn every house that I find harbors them, but I think they sleep mostly in the woods. We found a hat all covered with blood near where we found the horses. There are not a great many of these scoundrels here, but they are desperate fellows, and will fight to the death.

Thus three of the best and bravest men in my company are sacrificed by the hands of thieving scoundrels, who will not come out and fight openly. I will avenge their death.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. A. EWING,

Captain, Commanding.

P. S.-The mail starts out in the morning, the first opportunity I have had to report. Henry P. Bronson's fine mare and J. Van. Osdol's grey mare got loose in the fracas, and I think have gone to the Cape; if so, please let me know, as he requested his mare sent home.

J. A. EWING.

LATER.-Boys' horses have come in. I would like to have a few copies of blank oaths of allegiance, as some of the old coons down here have never taken it.

J. A. E.

10 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT I