HEADQUARTERS FIRST DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CAVALRY,
Sycamore Church, Va., September 3, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to state, in reply to your communication of this date just received, that pursuant to instructions from you, through my acting adjutant, about midnight, I immediately took up line of march, and arrived at Sycamore Church some time after 6 a.m. this date, and immediately had the necessary details made for the immediate re-establishing of the picket-line here. It was during this time that an attack was made upon two Government wagons, for which that an attack was made upon two Government wagons, for which Quartermaster Baker is accountable. The drivers having positive orders to return with them immediately, I therefore sent a guard of one non-commissioned officer and six privates with them. On learning that they were attacked, I took all the available men of the regiment and started in pursuit. This occasioned some delay in establishing the picket-line as the attack was made while the guard was forming. Three of the men and six of the mules were captured, which I am sorry to say were not recovered. In my endeavors to recapture the property Captain Hamilton, in charge of a detachment, met with a large force of the enemy, and after a severe engagement had to fall back with the loss of 1 man killed and 3 men wounded. Captain Hamilton is wounded slightly.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. S. BAKER,

Major, Commanding.

Colonel S. P. SPEAR,

Commanding Second Brigade, Kautz's Cavalry Division.

Numbers 344. Report of Major Franklin A. Stratton, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, of operations September 16-17.

HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY,
Stage Road, Near Rollins' House, September 18, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that a large force of the enemy's cavalry attacked the left of my line on the stage road yesterday morning [16th] at 5 o'clock, a few minutes after a like attack on the line of the First District of Columbia Cavalry on the left of the brigade. My force on the stage road consisted of Companies B and D, eighty-five men, under Captain McFarlan, who, alarmed by the firing on his left, had his men promptly in line. The enemy's force, presenting an extended front, advanced on both the roads which meet at the reserve station, the mounted men on the road and dismounted men in the woods overthrowing the line of vedettes, outflanking and threatening at once to envelop the reserve. Captain McFarlan after some resistance fell back in good order, losing a few men and horses of the advance posts, captured on the Sycamore road. He continued to skirmish, falling back as slowly as possible before the rebels, who pressed their advance with vigor, until they had driven him within sight of Prince George Court-House. Here they were met by the Third New York Cavalry reserves, who drove them back toward Rol-