miles distant, and parallel with the river. Lieutenant Hardenbrook, with thirty men, was ordered down between Captain Carson's force and the river, with instructions to support each other in the case of necessity. Captain Tansey and Lieutenant McCracken, with thirty men, were crossed over the river on the south side, and sent down on that side. After moving out two miles and a half Captain Carson engaged the advance guard of the enemy. After considerable skirmishing drove them back one mile and a half near the main force, where they dismounted and occupied some old works and houses, and kept up a fight for several hours. During this time Lieutenant Hardenbrook had come in contact with another party, on or near the river at Howell's Ferry. Toward night the enemy retreated and fell back on to their main force, which by this time became apparent from the noise, confusion, and hallooing, as though they were driving stock. During the time that Captain Carson was so briskly engaged I sent out Lieutenant Stafford, with fifteen men, to support him, and to prevent the enemy from flanking or coming around in his rear. Shortly after his I received orders from brigade headquarters to order my men in, and did so. Owing to the fact that my men were deployed and instructed to keep themselves confined to the woods, so as not to allow the enemy to ascertain their strength, together with the bold dash and rapid firing, led the enemy to suppose that they were the skirmish line of a heavy force. Under this false impression they pulled up stakes and marched till 9 o'clock that evening, crossing Sweet Water. Before, however, they gained shelter under the old breast-works, my men unhorsed a number of them, and a lady who lives near where the skirmishing took place states that they pressed her wagon to haul off 3 wounded men, 2 of them badly shot through the body, and the other through the shoulder. They also had an ambulance along, but these were all the wounded that the lady saw. There were now casualties on our side. From a reconnaissance made on the 21st by Lieutenant Hardenbrook, and forty-five men, he ascertained that at the time the skirmishing took place that the enemy lay just below the Howell's Ferry road, and extended from the river to Mitchell's Cross-Roads, a distance of four miles. They had some cattle and 40- odd prisoners. Had no artillery that we can learn; were strictly cavalry, without any baggage train; represented to be three or four brigades, by some as being 3,000 strong.

Among the names of officers in command were General Armstrong, said to be commanding DIVISION, Generals Jackson and Ferguson, and one other (the name not given) as commanders of brigades. Their movement was westward, said to be in direction of Blue Mountain, and not to have crossed the Chattahoochee River. Boasted that they had got ahead of General Kilpatrick this time, &c.

Z. S. RAGAN,

Major, Commanding Seventieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

Lieutenant J. H. SNYDER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTIETH INDIANA,
Turner's Ferry, October 21, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to make the following report relating to information elicited to-day from a reconnaissance made by a portion of my force:

The enemy that my men encountered on the 19th appear, from the discoveries since made, to have been four brigades of cavalry, General