This brigade is charged at almost every camp for burning rails. No axes are furnished. It is respectfully asked that the attention of commanding general be called to the fact and a necessary number of axes supplied.

Very respectfully, &c.,

WOOD BOULDIN, Jr.,

Asst. Inspector-General, Patton's Brigade, Wharton's Division.

No. 181. Report of Brigadier General Bryan Grimes, C. S. Army, commanding Rodes' (or Ramseur's) division, Second Army Corps, of operations October 18-19.

HEADQUARTERS RODES' DIVISION, October 31, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In obedience to orders from corps headquarters I have the honor to submitting the following report as the part taken by Rodes' division in the action on the 19th of October, 1864:

About dark on the evening of the 18th the division moved from camp on Fisher's Hill and was halted for an hour or more near the pike in order that Major-General Gordon, in command of the force which was to move to the enemy's rear, could communicate with Lieutenant-General Early. This halt was caused, as I unofficially learned, in consequence of information received that the enemy were fortifying that evening on their left flank. About 8 p.m. the march was resumed, and after passing the stone bridge filed to the right and passed by a circuitous route around the base of Fort Mountain by a blind path, where the troops had to march in single file. The order of march was, Gordon, Rodes, Pegram. Upon reaching the Shenandoah, where crossed by the Manassas Gap Railroad, the column was halted and massed for the rear to close up. So soon as this was done (about 1 a.m.) we again moved forward, following the track of the railroad until near Buckton Station, where we again halted for an hour and a half, waiting the arrival of the cavalry, who crossed the river in advance and drove in the enemy's pickets.

About 4.30 a.m. the infantry commenced crossing the Shenandoah near Colonel Bowman's house in two columns. The passage was effected with great rapidity and in good order, though the rear necessarily had to double quick for [a] distance to close up. The order of march was as follows: Battle, Cook, Cox, Grimes. On arriving within half a mile of the Valley pike Battle's brigade was formed parallel with the same and moved forward in line of battle. The other brigades continued moving by the flank for about 300 yards, when they were faced to the left and ordered forward, changing direction to the right. Battle soon struck the Eighth Corps of the enemy, and charging gallantly drove them in great confusion, but was himself seriously wounded while nobly leading his brigade, the command of which then devolved on Lieutenant-Colonel Hobson, Fifth Alabama. Cook and Cox continued to advance, swinging to the right, driving the enemy in their front with but slight resistance for upward of half a mile, when General Cox reporting that he was flanked on the left, a temporary halt was made until re-enforcements were sent forward, when these two brigades again advanced. Cook captured several cannon, caissons, ammunition wagons, &c. This movement left a wide interval between Cook's right and Battle's left, which was subsequently filled by Pegram's division.