can ascertain, no one on our side was killed or wounded. The dead bodies of the Yankees have been found. Had any of our men been killed they also would have been found upon the ground.

As soon as the cavalry courier reported the advance of the enemy Colonel Henagan sent a mounted courier to me with the intelligence. I ordered the courier to gallop back and tell Colonel Henagan to hold the ground to the last; that I would hurry up re-enforcements to him. I dispatched the Third [South Carolina] Regiment to his relief, with orders to the brigade to follows, and galloped forward myself toward the picket, but as I rose the hill from my camp I saw the Yankee cavalry in rear of our picket. The courier who brought me the intelligence never got back to Colonel Henagan.

My own impression most decidedly is that the woods could have been held at least long enough for re-enforcements to arrive. The known gallantry of Colonel Henagan and of his regiment alone render the matter in explicated. Circumstances possibly existed of which I know nothing, and in justice to a brave officer and a command which has done good fighting I withhold all expression of censure in this report.

The loss, as officially reported, is 14 officers and 90 men.

Very respectfully,

JAS. CONNER,

Brigadier-General.

[Major E. L. COSTIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.]

No. 178. Report of Major James M. Goggin, Assistant Adjutant-General, C. S. Army, commanding Conner's brigade, of operation October 19.

HEADQUARTERS CONNER'S BRIGADE, October 31, 1864.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that on the 18th instant, at 11.45 p.m., this brigade, in pursuance of orders received during the afternoon, moved from its camp to the turnpike, in rear of Fisher's Hill. Soon after reaching there, the other brigades being put in motion, it fell into the position previously assigned it as the rear brigade of the division, and moved noiselessly and in good order to the north side of Cedar Creek on the road ---, where just after daybreak it rapidly formed in line of battle and pushed forward at once in support of the other brigades of the division, then advancing on the enemy's works. On clearing the dense and tangled woods immediately in our front, and reaching the open, elevated ground occupied by the enemy (understood to be Crook's corps), it war discovered that Bryan's brigade by a most brilliant dash had already succeeded in driving them out and held possession of their first line of works. Without delay, the brigade moved up on the left of Bryan's brigade (commanded by Colonel Simms) and dashed forward across the turnpike, attacking the second line of works with such fierce vigor and determination that the enemy soon fled in the utmost confusion, leaving in our hands a number of prisoners and four pieces of artillery. From this point the brigade steadily advanced to the left of and on a line nearly parallel to the pike, as far as a lane which led into the peek, and passing near a house said to have been the headquarters of the commanding general of the Federal forces. Beyond

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