officer. What is much more important to public service is, I want for the efficient use of the troops here two or three efficient brigadiers. It will also be most desirable to replace several of the regiments here broken down by sickness, allowing them to recruit health an numbers..

Floyd's forces, though beaten and demoralized, are not destroyed, and must be watched. The roads, which become very bad by usage, dry up and become good very quickly, making the country open for enterprises during the winter. Have just returned from Fayette. Will write you in the morning.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Brigadier-General.

Major-General McCLELLAN. .

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Camp Gauley Mountain, November 25, 1861.

SIR: My current series of dispatches has informed the commanding general of the principal military in thus department, including those which have occurred on this line since our from Sewell; but to give the whole connectly and in detail I now respectfully submit a report, consisting of abstract, details, map, and appendix:*

ABSTRACT.

The first thing after the battle of Carnifix was to unite the forces on the Lewisburg road and follow it up as far as practicable. This was done; the enemy's entrenched position beyond Big Sewell reconnoitered, his force ascertained, and on the 5th of October the troops fell back towards Gauley Bridge, to be near their clothing and supplies. The next thing was to clothe, and pay the troops. This was progressing vigorously when Floyd, with eight regiments, 700 cavalry, and several pieces of artillery, variously stated from two to eight, appeared in the angle west of New River, on the Fayette, road while, it was stated, on information entitled to great weight, that Lee was preparing to combine an attack on our front, while Floyd was to cut off our communications down the Kanawha.

It now became necessary to guard against Lee, secure our communications, dislodge, and, if possible, cut off Floyd's forces. The operations for this purpose took up the time from the 1st of November to the 15th of November. One of the plans for capturing Floyd failed on account of the high water, and the other, while it was successful in dislodging the rebels and driving them from this part of the country, failed to capture and destroy their force for want of vigorous and energetic execution of plans confided to General Banham.

the special history of these movements is given in the subjoined details, illustrated by the map and appendix.

REPORT OF DETAILS.

After the battle of Carnifix the troops brought down by the Summersville line passed over on to the Lewisburg road, uniting with the Kanawha Brigade. The head of this column advanced to the top of Big Sewell, 34 miles from Gauley Bridge, on the 28th of September.

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* Appendix consists of the subordinate reports following..

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