during the day about twenty miles. Here, after carefully posting sentinels, we built fires and slept. A little after midnight Second Lieutenant Patton, with a small party guided by Riley Ramsey, made a successful excursion for the capture of two notorious guerrillas, Levi Amick and Noah W. Props. They were brought into camp. Early on the morning of the 18th, leaving Captain Wilson with his company and First Lieutenant Ford, of Company E, with a part of his company to gather up in the neighborhood such stock as I deemed a lawful prize for the army, I started with Captain Adney with his company and Second Lieutenant Patton with part of his company for Meadow Bluff. We saw no enemy and heard of none, although it was reported that messengers had been sent to Lewisburg to obtain a force to come and attack us. We burned the barracks, 110 newly built log cabins. They were all very well constructed, many of them with puncheon floors. We also found stored away a lot of old tents and a small quantity of various quartermaster's and commissary stores, with a few wagons, all of which we burned. We also found a Confederate mail, which we brought away. No intrenchments or rifle-pits were discovered. I was told that there were intrenchments across the turnpike not far from the foot of Little Sewell Mountain. The position is indicated on the accompanying map.* In the p. m. we returned to the McFarlane farm.

At daylight the next morning, the 19th, we started homeward. At night we camped near the house of Grigsby McClung, having marched about fourteen miles. This was the best we could do, as we were delayed by the captured stock. At daylight the next morning, the 20th, we resumed our march, and had marched four or five miles when we were fired into by a body of men concealed on a high point about 120 yards distant. The fire was directed toward Captain Wilson's company, which was marching in advance. Those of the company who caught a glimpse of the rebels returned the fire, and all moved promptly up the hill to the skirmish, but no enemy could be found. All had taken to their horses and disappeared. From the number of articles dropped in their hurried escape I infer they did not stand upon the order of their going. I was informed that the party consisted of Captain McGruder's Henrico Cavalry, from White Sulphur (lately stationed at the junction of the Wilderness road and the Lewisburg turnpike, near Meadow Bluff), and a part of Captain Moorman's Lewisburg Cavalry. It was reported that 125 mounted men left Lewisburg. From the sound of the volley I cannot believe that more than one-third of that number of men fired on us. I have no doubt that there were many more in the vicinity that fired upon us. Only two of our men were wounded, one slightly in the thigh, and the other seriously in the elbow. Both men belonged to Company H. After following the tracks of the fugitive cavalry for a considerable distance, and finding the pursuit with infantry hopeless, were resumed our march. We camped at night near the house of Andrew McClung, about six miles from Hughes' Ferry. Here we slept by fires. Anticipating considerable delay in getting our stock over the ferry, we started the next morning, the 21st, at 3 o'clock. The time consumed at the ferry was, however, only about two hours, and we reached Summerville about 11 a. m. We were absent from Summerville six days. Our captures were as follows: Two notorious rebel guerrillas, 17 horses, 4 mules, 5 oxen, 90 fat cattle, 112 fat sheep, 23 rifles and guns, and one heavy wagon, suitable for oxen. I may add that the Wilderness road, which keeps one continuous ridge for twenty-five miles, from Gauley River to Meadow Creek, is very poorly watered,

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* Omitted.

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