who, in obedience to their officers, remained on the battle-field to the last. They fought with the steady coolness of veterans, and with bravery worthy of their glorious cause; and on the other hand, too much execration cannot be poured upon the many base cowards who deserted the battle-field and left their brave companions, in violation of orders. They should be remembered in eternal infamy. Had they all remained and fought as gallantly as did their companions, the ground could have been held till the attack was made on the other side by Colonel Moody, when success would have been certain. We found that instead of a surprise, the enemy was fully apprised and prepared to meet us at all points, and we have since learned from prisoners that they were fully apprised not only of our coming, but of the plan of attack, two days before, by a deserter from our camp, and that they had been making the most active preparations to receive us. The enemy's force in the action, as nearly as we could learn, was about 2,500, of which about 300 were killed, among whom, as we learned from our prisoners, was General Johnson and two field officers. Inclosed find list of our killed, wounded, and missing.*

Very respectfully,

R. H. MILROY,

Brigadier General, Commanding Second Brigade, Cheat Mountain Division.

Brigadier-General REYNOLDS.

[5].

DECEMBER 16-21, 1861.-Expedition to Meadow Bluff, W. Va.

Report of Major Ebenezer B. Andrews, Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry.

SUMMERVILLE, VA., December 22, 1861.

SIR: I have the honor of presenting the following report:

In obedience to your of the 15th instant to conduct an expedition to Meadow Bluff to ascertain the condition of affairs in that region and to obtain if possible horses and stock that might be of value to the army, I started on Monday, the 16th, and 10 a. m., with a force of 150 men, nearly equally taken from Companies B, E, and H. The commissioned officers were Captain Adney, of Company B, First Lieutenant Ford and Second Lieutenant Patton, of Company E, and Captain Wilson and Second Lieutenant Dunlap, of Company H, and Acting Adjutant Second Lieutenant Lindner. Three days' rations were carried in haversacks and four days' taken in a wagon. We crossed the Gauley River at Hughes' Ferry on the new flat-boat. The time occupied was one hour and ten minutes. Ascending a steep hill beyond the river, we reached the top of the ridge on which the Wilderness or Nicholas road runs for twenty-five miles. It is the "divide" between the Meadow River and the Harmony Creek. At night we halted near the house of a Mr. Nutter (now a rebel prisoner at Columbus, Ohio), having marched about twelve miles. Here we built fires, took hot coffee, and laid down and slept till 10 o'clock, when we resumed the march by the bright moonlight. Having marched about five miles we found the road obstructed. Detailing a force to remove the obstruction, the rest built fires and slept till morning. At daylight on the morning of the 17th we resumed the march, and proceeding cautiously reached the McFarlane farm, five or six miles this side of Meadow Bluff, having marched

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* See VOL. V, p. 457.

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