FEBRUARY 3, 1865. - Affair near Harper's Ferry, W. Va.

Report of Colonel Marcus A. Reno, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS TWELFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY,
Charleston, W. Va., February 4, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report that the party which ran the train off the track on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad crossed at or near Keyes' Ford. I had timely information of their crossing and their whereabouts, and would have succeeded in capturing some of them had my orders been obeyed. About 10 p. m. I sent out two parties under command of Lieutenants Guild and Chase. These parties were about fifty strong. Lieutenant Chase was ordered, with his command, to cover the roads leading to the different fords through Bloomery. Lieutenant Guild was ordered to overtake and head off the party, attack them, and drive them back. After he left camp, instead of following them up, he thought he had better move toward the river, the diametrically opposite direction from his orders. Lieutenant Chase (with good reason) did not expect our own men in that direction, and fired into Lieutenant G.'s command. I regret to say that one man, Private Hogeland, Company D, was wounded. I have placed Lieutenant Guild in arrest and now report him for immediate dismissal, as he is solely responsible for the miscarriage of my plans. I do not design that he be court-martialed, as that would occupy more time than he is worth. He is entirely unfit for a commission, inasmuch as he takes no pains to improve himself, nor does he study to render himself worthy of his position. He, although never what you could charge as drunkenness, is always full, and when not stupefied with whisky he is with opium. His performance last night is sufficient evidence against him to hang him. The scouting party which brought the information lost one of their number. He was taken prisoner by the rebels, but in returning over the same ground his dead body was found in the road, evidently murdered after capture. Upon receiving Lieutenant Guild's report I immediately dispatched parties to Duffield's and Smithfield, as it was evident to me they had gone in that direction. They report that, after throwing off the train, the enemy separated into small parties and made toward the Shenandoah. They were unable to come upu with them. As far as I can learn they numbered about thirty men.

Very respectfully,

M. A. RENO,

Colonel, Commanding Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Captain J. P. ROCKWELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Harper's Ferry, Va.

FEBRUARY 4 - 6, 1865. - Expedition from Winchester, Va., to Moorefield, W. Va.

Report of lieut. Colonel Edward W. Whitaker, First Connecticut Cavalry.

CAMP OF FIRST CONNECTICUT CAVALRY,

Near Winchester, Va., February 8, 1865.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that, pursuant to instructions from general commanding corps, I collected my command for special duty, armed with sabers and pistols, and numbering 300, all from the