around to the Shenandoah up to Winchester, where I attacked with 1,000 cavalry and 1,350 of Crook's infantry, and defeated the division of Ramseur, including the Stonewall Brigade, capturing 4 guns and 200 prisoners. When the united forces of the rebels under Early compelled the Army of West Virginia, under General Crook, to fall back to Maryland, my division took post at Hagerstown, from which point it marched down the Cumberland Valley on the 29th of July, the enemy having crossed the Potomac in three columns. Pursued the command of McCausland 135 miles, attacking at McConnellsburg and finally at Moorefield, Va., totally routing it, capturing the guns of the Baltimore Battery, 3 colors, 420 prisoners, and over 400 horses, arms, equipments, &c. With the results of this last victory I returned to New Creek on the 8th of August, where I received the following telegram from Major-General Sheridan:

HARPER'S FERRY, August 7, 1864.

Brigadier-General AVERELL:

Concentrate your cavalry command at Hancock and join me by the shortest and most practicable route.

* * * *

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Major-General.

My division on the 8th of August consisted of First Brigade, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Eighth Ohio Cavalry, Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry, attached, Colonel J. M. Schoonmaker; Second Brigade, First West Virginia Cavalry, Second West Virginia Cavalry, Third West Virginia Cavalry, First New York (Lincoln), attached, Colonel W. H. Powell. Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Weir (four guns). These troops had marched almost continuously about 1,700 miles. With the greatest exertion I had been unable to obtain horses for my dismounted men on remounts in place of my exhausted animals. The strength of my command had been partially maintained by using the horses captured from time to time from the enemy. I concentrated my division at Hancock and reached Martinsburg on the 14th of August, on my way to join General Sheridan, who was then near Cedar Creek. At Martinsburg I received orders to remain and refit my division for the field. I was unable to obtain any information of General Sheridan's movements, except through my own scouts, until the 18th, when I received information from the chief of staff that Torbert's cavalry had been compelled to fall back to Summit Point, and directions to fall back to the north side of the Potomac if necessary, covering the crossings (marked A), and also orders through the chief of cavalry to fall back from Martinsburg to Charlestown (marked B). Starting for Charlestown, I received verbal orders through the chief of cavalry to go to Smithfield. Changing direction to the latter place, I was overtaken by the order (repeated) of the major-general commanding to cover the crossings of the Potomac, crossing the river if necessary. To cover the crossings of the Potomac from Cherry Run to Harper's Ferry with a division of cavalry operating on the south side the river, it is necessary to take post at or near Martinsburg and establish a picket-line from Mill's Gap, in North Mountain, cross the Valley to Charlestown. If unable maintain that line it is best to guard the fords on the north side of the river. There had been nothing in the instructions received from the major-general commanding which contemplated the occupation of Martinsburg by my division. I therefore moved to Shepherdstown on the evening of the 18th and picketed the river as well as possible.

On the morning of the 20th I received an order (marked C) from the chief of staff in which these woods occur: "In fact, the general rather