mand in this little affair-ever enthusiastic and anxious to move forward, freeing this beautiful valley and its citizens, known to be so loyal, from the miserable vandals who then oppressed them. The enemy wantonly burned the market-house, with a hall, &c., over it, giving as an excuse that some 20 bushels of grain would fall into our hands.

We captured 10 horses and equipments, 1 captain, and 8 privates First Maryland Cavalry, with some stores. Our casualties, 1 wounded, in Thirty-third Regiment Virginia Volunteers, by shell.

My thanks are eminently due, and the same are hereby tendered, to Captain Chew for his able assistance and to the great amount of information given me as to the country, thus enabling me to press forward rapidly when totally ignorant of the country myself.

To my staff, Captain O'Brien and Lieutenants Howard and Garnett, I tender my thanks for their services in transmitting my orders rapidly at all times.

The strength of the brigade was 1,337, rank and file.

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

CHAS. S. WINDER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major R. L. DABNEY,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Headquarters Valley District.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, VALLEY DISTRICT,
Camp near Weyer's Cave, Va., June 15, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor herewith to report the part taken by this brigade in the operations of the 8th and 9th instant near Port Republic, Va.:

While quietly in camp on Sunday morning, the 8th instant, between 8 an 9 o'clock, I heard artillery to our right and rear, which I inferred must be that of the enemy. Captain Poague came in at this time and informed me he had ordered his battery to be prepared for action. I approved it, and requested him to transmit to Captain Carpenter, camped just by him, instructions to the same effect. The good judgment of both these officers had anticipated such orders-a most fortunate circumstance indeed, as the enemy were pressing rapidly on our rear. General Jackson rode to my tent at this time and ordered me to send a regiment to the bridge over the Shenandoah at Port Republic in double-quick time. I at once sent orders to Colonel J. W. Allen, commanding Second Regiment, to conduct his regiment to that point. Mounting my horse, I rode in the direction of the bridge. Passing Poague's battery, I observed a Parrott gun hitched up and ordered it to follow me. About one-fourth of a mile from camp I discovered the position of a battery of the enemy across the river, it sending shell just across the road, but too high to do any damage. The gun arriving, I turned it to the left, to bear on the aforesaid battery, when General Jackson directed me to send it to him on the right. This I did and awaited the arrival of other guns, which were soon brought up and placed in position on the hill commanding the opposite side of [the] river. The second shot silenced the enemy's battery, causing it to limber up and move off. Carpenter's battery arriving, I ordered it placed on the left of Poague's, and the eight pieces of the two batteries to be directed on the retreating battery and column of infantry advancing up the road. The guns were rapidly and admirably served, pouring a heavy and de-