I would especially mention Lieutenant-Colonel Jones, Eighth Indiana; Major Baird, Fifth Iowa; Major Presdee, Second Indiana; Major Root, Eighth Iowa; and Lieutenant Hill, of my staff, for gallantry and efficiency. Colonel Brownlow and Major Purdy I have already spoken of. Their services in the field were valuable. I would respectfully request that the services of Lieutenant-Colonel Jones, Eighth Indiana, receive some recognition at the hands of the general commanding. Captain Le Roy, assistant adjutant-general ; Captain Mitchell, Captain Goulding, and Lieutenant Cunningham, of my staff, Lieutenant Miller, of the battery, and Major Briggs, commanding the noble Second Indiana, through all the sleepless nights, exhausting marches, and hard fighting, were indefatigable, untiring, and brave.

After crossing the Chattahoochee, I marched to Wedowee, Ala., exchanging our worn-out stock and remounting our dismounted men from the plantations along the road, and would have marched to Talladega, destroyed the iron-works and returned by way of Rome, but for information received in a dispatch, addressed to the rebel General Clanton, which was intercepted by my scouts. I changed my course and returned through Buchanan, Draketown, &c., to Marietta, finding many Union citizens on the route.

I am satisfied that the injury inflicted on the rebels is much greater than any we suffered. We lost no material captured. Our artillery was abandoned deliberately, after being totally destroyed, and our ambulances were left because filled with wounded, and humanity required that they should remain uninjured. Our whole loss, as I before stated, does not exceed 500 killed, wounded, and missing. It is not improper here to refer to the fact that the rebel papers acknowledged a loss of from 800 to 900, and severely censure their generals for not having, with their vastly superior force, entirely destroyed my whole command.

Before going into action on the 30th of July, we had 72 commissioned officers and 350 other prisoners, mostly belonging to the rebel quartermaster's and commissary's departments, taken in ad about Fayetteville, that we had marched with us from that place. During the engagement we captured as many more and three stand of colors. It was with the most extreme reluctance and regret that the force of circumstances or rather the force of the enemy, compelled me to abandon the prisoners within nine miles of the river. One stand of the colors I brought off.

I regard the raid as a brilliant success, and had the forces of General Stoneman been able to unite with mine near McDonough, as I understood was contemplated by the general commanding the military division, I think we might have successfully carried our arms wherever desired, and accomplished more magnificent results than any raid in the history of this war.

I conclude my report by expressing gratitude to the kind Providence which enabled me, through the gallantry of my brave men and faithful officers, to extricate my command from the perils which surrounded it, and to bring them back, not only in safety, but crowned with success.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. M. McCOOK,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

Brigadier General W. L. ELLIOTT,

Chief of Cavalry.