their cavalry advance guard driven back with loss yesterday by Lieutenant-Colonel Drake, First Virginia Cavalry, who is in their front. Two thousand Yankees are in Spotsylvania Court-House and on the Crutchfield road leading therefrom, parallel to this. I have just heard the latter from a scout sent in.

J. E. B. STUART,

Major-General.

General R. E. LEE.

BOWLING GREEN, VA.,

August 7, 1862 - 5 a. m.

GENERAL: I continued yesterday to press upon the enemy's rear, and succeeded in drawing back upon me his main body and batteries, thus foiling his planks and giving his infantry a hurried, not, and dusty march of several miles. I then withdrew, covering completely the removal of all the prisoners and wagons captured and our own wounded (2). The latest indications were that the enemy was returning to Fredericksburg.

We have captured about 85 prisoners of war, 11 wagons and teams, and about 100 Enfield muskets.

Most respectfully,

J. E. B. STUART,

Major-General.

General R. E. LEE.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION,
December 20, 1862.

GENERAL: After the lapse of several months of incessant activity and occupation with the enemy, I avail myself of a hiatus in the war to make a report of the operations of my command subsequent to the battles before Richmond. My command then consisted of two cavalry brigades (Hampton's and Fitzhugh Lee's), which alternated with each other on outpost duty before the enemy on the Charles City border and camp of instruction at Hanover Court-House. During this period several skirmishes and affairs of petit guerre took place, which were duly reported at the time in pencil communications the commanding general, as also one in which Colonel S. D. Lee's command, the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, behaved with great gallantry, and of which he furnished a report. These operations embraced a period from July 21 to August 16.

The enemy occupied Fredericksburg and the north side of the Rapidan in force, and had already made an inroad upon the Central Railroad (that grand war-artery connecting Jackson, near Gordonsville, with the main body at Richmond) and at Beaver Dam destroyed the railway fixtures, capturing one of my volunteer aides, Captain John S. Mosby, while quietly waiting for the train. I soon saw that there was no repose for my command at Hanover Court-House, and that it was a matter of first importance to counteract these raids upon the railroad. I was beset by numerous interested gentleman to station the cavalry at various points of the railroad. This policy of frittering away the command into little detachments, on any of which the enemy could concentrate and overpower it, I steadfastly opposed, with the approval of the commanding general. I made one expedition, via Verdon, pro-