Numbers 3. Report of Colonel James W. Paramore, Third Ohio Cavalry, commanding Second Cavalry Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Camp Stanley, April 7, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to forward, for the information of the general commanding cavalry, the following report of the part taken by the Second Cavalry Brigade in the recent scout through Auburn, Liberty, Alexandria, and Lebanon:We left camp on the morning of the 2nd instant, at 6 o'clock, with about 400 men, 150 of the Third Ohio and 250 of the Fourth Ohio, the balance of the brigade being on detached and picket duty or dismounted. The portion of the Third Ohio was under the immediate command of Lieutenant Colonel D. A. Murray, and the Fourth was commanded by Colonel Long.

We marched on the Liberty pike, in rear of the First Brigade, till we came to Prosperity Church, 3 1\2 miles beyond Auburn. There a body of Confederate cavalry was encountered by the First Brigade, and, after a short skirmish, the rebel cavalry moved over to the left of the position occupied by the First Brigade, and crossed the river toward their flank. I was then ordered by Colonel Minty to take my brigade across the river and dislodge them from that position, which I did after a short skirmish, in which we killed 1 and wounded 2 or 3 others. We drove them about 1 1\2 miles, when darkness closed the pursuit, and we foraged for the night; furnished three companies for picket.

On the morning of the 3rd instant, in accordance with instructions received, I moved on a by-road about 1 1\2 miles to the left of the Murfreesborough and Liberty pike, and parallel with it (with a line of skirmishers covering the front of my column and connecting with those of the First Brigade), until I reached the Lebanon and McMinnville pike. I then moved down that pike, toward Liberty, coming in the rear of the First Brigade. When we arrived at Liberty, I received orders to cross the river to the right and dislodge the enemy's sharpshooters, that were occupying a high hill to the east of the town, and opposing the advance of the First Brigade. I did so, by dismounting a squadron of my command and sending them up the hills as skirmishers, who soon gained its summit and dispersed the rebels. It was accomplished with difficulty, however, as it was a rough, rugged hill, and almost impassable even for footmen. I moved the column over through a kind of a gap through the mountain till I struck a cove leading down to the pike. I followed that down to the pike, where I met the First Brigade moving up, and there I received orders to again move to the right across another mountain and occupy a ravine to the right of Snow Hill, where we expected the rebels would make a stand. I accomplished that also in safety by clumping the mountain in single file (there being no road), and leading our horses. After we had gained that position and closed up in line of battle, the First Brigade moved up along the pike and formed in the ravine to our left. During this time skirmishing was going on between the rebels and our infantry and artillery moving up the pike, but with what success I could not learn, as they were then concealed from my view. About this time I learned from Lieutenant [W. L.] Hathaway, of the First Middle Tennessee, that there was a path accessible for horsemen, by which we could gain the summit of the hill and get around to the rear of the rebels.

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