blazing culverts which had been fired by the enemy along the road, but sharp artillery and cavalry skirmishing was renewed during the forenoon, and at about 2 o'clock my advance drove his rear guard through Harrisonburg. The direction taken by the main force of the enemy being uncertain, my troops were ordered into camp around the town.

Later in the afternoon the First New jersey Cavalry, with a battalion of the Fourth New Cavalry, came suddenly upon the enemy's camp in the woods several miles to the southeast, and was driven out with serious loss, leaving Colonel Wyndham and Captains Shelmire, Clark, and haines in the hands of the enemy.

A little before sundown General Bayard entered the woods with four companies of Kane's Rifles (Bucktails) and the First pennsylvania Cavalry. Almost immediately after getting into the timber the Rifles encountered a regiment of cavalry with artillery and a regiment of infantry, from which they received a very damaging fire. A very severed engagement of half an hour followed, during which the Rifles lost upward of 40 killed, wounded, and missing. Colonel Kane was wounded and taken prisoners, Captain Taylor a prisoner, Captain Blanchard shot through both legs, and Lieutenant Swayne wounded. This noble body of Riflemen is entitled to the expression of my warm admiration for excellent conduct and efficiency during the march and for distinguished bravery on this occasion.

General bayard, in this as in all other instances of the kind during the pursuit, evinced the qualities of the true soldier.

Colonel Cluseret coming up with his brigade to the support of the Riflemen, the enemy retreated in disorder, leaving him in possession of their camp. On their part, the enemy in this sharp affair suffered still more severely, losing among the killed General "ashby, who up to this time had covered their retreat with admirable audacity and skill. Leaving their dead and wounded on the ground, with the growing darkness the enemy continued their retreat, precipitated by the several assaults of our troops.

On the 7th a reconnaissance in force was sent under General Milroy in the direction of Port Republic, and reconnaissances pushed toward Keezletown and McGaheysville and on the Staunton turnpike to the Middle River, where the bridges were found destroyed. These reconnaissances showed that jackson, abandoning the turnpike, had struck by a difficult and troublesome road toward Port Republic, and that he wa about to turn in force to dispute our farther advance. Accordingly a movement in the new direction taken by him was determined on for the 8th, and early upon the morning of this day the march was resumed, the command taking the road leading directly through the woods from Harrisonburg to Cross Keys.

My column, as constituted and now upon the road, was as follows;

The advance, Colonel Cluseret's brigade, consisting of the Sixtieth Ohio and Eighth Virginia Infantry, re-enforced by the Thirty-ninth New York (Garibaldi Gaurd); the main column comprising:

1st. Dickel's Fourth New York Cavalry.

2nd. General Stahel's brigade, consisting of the Eighth, Forty-first, and Forty-fifth New York and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, Dilger's, Buell's, and Schirmer's batteries.

3rd. General Bohlen's brigade, composed of the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-eighth New York and Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, and Wiedrich's battery.

4th. General Milroy's brigade, composed of the Twenty-fifth Ohio,