My loss was 1 officer killed, 1 enlisted man killed, and 77 wounded.

Officers and men, with few exceptions, behaved with great gallantry, and are deserving of highest praise.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your most obedient,

T. THOBURN,

Colonel, Commanding.

Captain P. G. BIER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 107. Reports of Colonel Thomas M. Harris, Tenth West Virginia Infantry, commanding First Division, of operations October 13 and 19.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION, ARMY OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Cedar Creek, Va., October 28, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the reconnaissance made by the First and Third Brigades of this division on the 13th instant:

The enemy having advanced a battery to a position on the turnpike, between Strasburg and Cedar Creek bridge, which commanded the camp of the First Division at good range, and having thrown some shells into various parts of the camp, the First and Third Brigades were at once sent on a reconnaissance to develop his strength and purpose. Crossing the creek below the brigade, the command formed itself under a cover of a wood from the fire of enemy's guns, and having marched by the flank under this cover for a quarter of a mile, to bring it in opposition to the enemy's position, it was formed in line of battle, the Third Brigade on the right and the First on the left of the pike, and at once moved rapidly forward, Colonel George D. Wells, Thirty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry, commanding the First, and Colonel T. M. Harris, tenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, commanding the Third Brigade. The Third Brigade had no sooner made its appearance in line at the top of the hill than it was seriously assailed by the enemy's shells, aimed with such accuracy as to do us considerable damage at every discharge, and was hence moved by the right flank at a double-quick for 200 yards to gain the shelter of a wood. In the meantime the First Brigade was moved rapidly forward, through a wood at first and afterward through an open field, and took a position behind a stone wall, within a few hundred yards of the enemy's position, having been exposed from the time it emerged from the wood in front of the enemy's guns to great annoyance from the explosion of his shells, which were aimed with great accuracy. Simultaneously with this advance of the First brigade the Third was also moved forward and so maneuvered as to place it in connection with the First in a continuous line on the right of the road. The whole line had now become fiercely engaged with the enemy's infantry, and it soon became apparent that he was there in such force as to enable him to turn our right, and that he had already initiated movements to this end. The command was ordered to retire, which was done in some disorder, as our line was rapidly pressed by the enemy in its retrograde movements. Owing to the fact that an aide-de-camp sent to convey the order to Colonel Wells to retire failed to reach him on account of his horse having been killed, the First Brigade was not withdrawn simultaneously with the Third, and consequently became exposed to an enfilading fire from the right as the