have reached there an hour sooner, had not the engine been thrown off the track he, just as the train was starting, by the mismanagement of the railroad employes.

The first man who arrived here was the mail agent from the captured train, who jumped off at the first shot, ran three miles to Patterson's Creek, took a hand-car there, and was here in about an hour. The commanding officers at Patterson's Creek and Green Spring Run do not appear to be responsible. The distance between these two points is about eight miles, and there is no station of troops between them. There is no road along that line. The guerrillas came down through a gorge, as they are liable to do in fifty other similar places along the line of railroad. I have made such disposition, by having the pickets from the different stationes connect, as, I think, will guard against such accidents in the future, but it is an impossibility, with the troops now on the road, to preclude the possibility of such things happening until the country in front of the railroad is entirely cleared of these guerrilla bands. It is a hazardous enterprise for those engaged in it, and I do not believe will be attempted often. The company that went out from Green Spring Run has returned without any success, but I will not hear from the cavalry that went from New Creek before some time to-morrow, and I hope they will have accomplished something.

Sir, I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. S. CARROLL,

U. S. Army, Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

General C. H. MORGAN,

Chief of Staff, Winchester, Va.

Numbers 13. Report of Lieutenant Stephen H. Draper, Twenty-first New York Cavalry, of operations April 11-12.

HEADQUARTERS SCOUTS, MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION,
Winchester, Va., April 13, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the result of a scout to Timber Ridge, Va., on the 11th and 12th instant, viz:

When seven miles out on the Rommey pike I learned from the guide that was to pilot me that there was a quantity of cotton and tobacco concealed at different placed on the ridge, also that about 100 rebel soldiers had been known to be in and about the same neighborhood but a day or two previous; hence my request for re-enforcements in order to take sufficient time to find the cotton and tobacco, and remove it, if possible, without loss of life. The re-enforcements reached me at the first point above named at about 12 o'clock in the night, when I immediately started, searching such places as the guide advised, but found no rebels. While waiting for the re-enforcements above named, a detachment of my scouts had a skirmish with a detachment of rebels, wounding one of the rebels; the balance escaped under cover of the darkens, it being about 9 o'clock in the evening. Said rebels represented themselves as being General Hancock's scouts.

Upon my arrival at Mr. Meredith Capper's, where I was informed a part of the cotton and tobacco was concealed, I proceeded to the house and found Mr. Capper, and told him my name, business, and that I should require the services of himself and team in removing the goods to Winchester. He appeared very much surprised at my knowing of