turned as far as Woodstock and camped for the night; the Third Division (Brigadier-General Custes) returned about six miles and camped for the night.

October 10, the First and Third Divisions of Cavalry (Brigadier-Generals Merrit and Custer) remained in camp and the captured property sent to the rear. The Second Division West Virginia Cavalry (Colonel Powell) was ordered from Front Royal, through Chester Gap, in the Blue Ridge, to Sperryville, and obtained important information. October 11, the First and Third Divisions (Brigadier-Generals Merritt and Custer) moved back to the north side of Cedar Creek, taking position as follows: The First Division (Brigadier-General Custer) on the right of the army; the Second Division West Virginia Cavalry (Colonel Powell) marched to Amissville. October 12, I sent reconnaissances from the First and Third Divisions (Brigadier-Generals Merritt and Custer) up the Valley pike and the Back road for ten or twelve miles, but could find no signs of the enemy. October 13, all quiet during the day until about 2 p. m., when the enemy advanced a strong infantry force on the Valley pike and commenced an attack on the pickets; at the same time they appeared in strong cavalry force on our right, opposite the Third Division (Brigadier-General Custer). They succeeded in driving part of the cavalry pickets across Cedar Creek and advanced about a mile. Brigadier-General Merritt put his division (First) in the saddle, and late in the afternoon the First Division (Brigadier-Generals Merritt and Custer) were in camp on the right of the army, covering the country for five or six miles to the right of the infantry. Brigadier-General Custer sent reconnaissances out on the Back road and found the enemy had retired to the line of Fisher's Hill. October 15, remained in camp; all quiet. The Second Division (Colonel Powell) was still near Front Royal, covering the line of the Shenandoah from the left of the infantry to beyond Front Royal. After dark the Firs Division (Brigadier-General Merritt) was ordered to move to Front royal; the Second Division (Colonel Powell) was ordered to concentrate at the same point, both of these divisions being designed for a raid on Charlottesville and Gordonsville. I moved to the Shenandoah near Front Royal in the afternoon to go in command of the expedition which was to start on the morning of the 16th. During the night of the 15th I received orders suspending the expedition. October 16, the First Division (Brigadier-General Merritt) was ordered back to the army and took position on the right of the infantry; the Second Division (Colonel Powell) was ordered to resume its old position, and I returned to the army on Cedar Creek. Brigadier-General Custer made a reconnaissance in his front, but could find no enemy outside of their lines on Fisher's Hill. October 17, just before daylight, rebel General Rosser, with one brigade of infantry and three brigades of cavalry-the infantry riding behind the cavalry-attacked Brigadier-General Custer's extreme right picket from the rear, and succeeded in capturing the right reserve of a major and twenty-five men, and then fell back rapidly, evidently frightened from his original designs, whatever they may have been, as he had made a circuit of thirty-two miles in the night to get in rear of our picket-line. The same day one brigade of Second Division (Colonel Powell) was moved nearer the infantry, and posted at Buckton Ford,