mountain fastness. Colonel Cameroon and his officers and men have exhibited the utmost daring and every, and have penetrated where no Union have been before.

JULIUS WHITE,

Brigadier-General.

Major General AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN KENTUCKY,
Beaver Creek, July 11, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the recent operations of this command:

On the 3rd instant, I marched from this station with six companies of the Sixty-fifth Illinois Infantry (two mounted), Second Battalion Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, one squadron Ohio volunteer cavalry one company Fourteenth Kentucky Infantry (mounted), and two mountain howitzers, under command of Lieutenant Wheeler, of Company M, Second Illinois Light Artillery. At Pikeville, 20 miles south of this, I was joined by a part of the Thirty-ninth Kentucky Infantry (mounted), in all about 950 men. From Pikeville I proceeded up the Louisa Fork of Sandy River with about half the entire force, directing that the Second Battalion Tenth Kentucky Cavalry and the Ohio squadron proceed by a rapid march through the Pound or Sounding Gap to Gladesville, W. Va., and demonstrate upon or attack the force of the enemy at that place, under Colonel Caudill; thence to the railroad at or near Bristol, and destroy so much of it should appear too hazardous an undertaking. This command reached Gladesville (after some skirmishing with the enemy the way), completely surprising and carrying the place by storm, beating in the doors and windows, from which the enemy were firing, with axes, and compelling his surrender after fifteen minutes of close and desperate fighting, during which the loss of the enemy was 20 killed and 30 wounded. Eighteen commissioned officers, including Colonel Caudill, commanding the regiments, were surrendered, with 99 enlisted men. The camp equipage, stores arms, and ammunition of the command were destroyed. Major Brown, Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, commanding this detachment, then returned to camp at Pikeville, thence this place, with his prisoners, safely, the presence of superior forces of the enemy preventing farther progress toward the railroad.

Twelve hours before Major Brown marched from Pikeville, i moved the remainder of Colonel Cameroon's command up the Louisa Fork of the Sandy River, for the purpose of attacking a regiment of the enemy under Colonel [A. J.] May, said to be posted near the State line, and also for the purpose of diverting the attention of the enemy from the movement of Major Brown, by a demonstration in the direction of the Salt-Works. After marching to a point near the State line, and finding that the enemy had retreated to a point some 60 miles distant, and within supporting distance of a force greatly superior to my own, the roads being wholly impracticable for field transportation, and the country wholly bare of subsistence for men or animals, I detached Colonel Cameroon, with the remaining mounted force, to attempt the capture of a body of the enemy on the Tug Fork, some 25 miles distant, and returned to Pikeville with the infantry and howitzers, from which point I could support the movement on either flank (Colonel Cameroon's or Major Brown's), should it become necessary, with facility.