o'clock that night (July 12) by a messenger, who returned a little after sunrise the next day with one of General McClellan's staff officers, Colonel Key, and about twenty cavalry. Colonel Key brought Colonel Pegram a reply to his note from General McClellan (copies of which you have). Colonel Pegram and Colonel Key had a long conference, at the end of which the men were marched to Beverly and stacked their guns. There being no formal surrender of officer to surrender their swords to, Colonel Pegram and most of the officers who had swords hung them on the stacked arms, and many of them were soon stolen by the Yankee guards.

We were kept at Beverly and well treated by our captors until July 17, when all but Colonel Pegram were released on parole by order of General Scott, Pegram being refused his parole because he had been an officer in the U. S. Army.

The foregoing account has been written hastily and from memory, but I think in the main is correct. There are undoubtedly many points of interest that have been forgotten, but as I have been informed that you will have written statements from several of the officers, and among others one from Lieutenant John T. Cowan, who was with me all the time, and to whom I am much indebted. He is a cool and intrepid young officer, and certainly deserves a much better fate.

There are many officers who deserve honorable mention, and foremost among those is the brave Captain Curry, who was wounded in the fight at Rich Mountain; but where many acted so well distinction would be invidious.

Yours, very truly,

J. M. HECK,

Late Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding 25th Regiment.

R. R. HOWISON, Richmond, Va.

Numbers 21. Report of Major Nat. Tyler, Twentieth Virginia Infantry, of operations from July 1 to 14, including skirmish July 7, and the engagement at Rich Mountain.

-,--, 1861.

During the night of July 1, I was ordered by General Garnett, at Laurel Hill, to re-enforce Lieutenant-Colonel Heck at Rich Mountain with seven companies of the Twentieth Regiment Virginia Volunteers. Starting from Laurel Hill at 2 a. m., I arrived at Rich Mountain the next day at 12 m. Lieutenant-Colonel Heck's command at Rich Mountain was one regiment of infantry, a battery of four 6-pounders, and one company of cavalry.

The sketch furnished you will show very accurately the fortifications that had been made to protect the camp from front assault.

On Sunday, July 7, I was ordered to reconnoiter the bridge over Middle Fork, about fifteen miles in front of our position. I proceeded with two companies, Captain Atkinson, Twentieth Virginia Volunteers, and Captain Higginbotham, of Lieutenant-Colonel Heck's regiment. When about one mile from the bridge I was informed by a country woman that a very large army occupied the bridge, and was entreated to return, as the Federal cavalry had but a few moments before left the house. The evidences of the cavalry were to be seen in the mud of the road. Proceeding carefully, I ascertained that a large force of infantry, artil-