mander to special praise. Subsequently Colonel Hatton's regiment, and a section of Shumaker's battery under Lieutenant Lanier, were instructed to co-operate with the advance on the left. Colonel Campbell's regiment advanced along the hill on our right. The forces on the right and left had not advanced far before the enemy fled, leaving their baggage and stores in our possession. The cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel William S. H. Baylor, of my staff, rushed into the town, where it encountered and routed the enemy's cavalry, which fled precipitately towards Hancock, and was rapidly pursued by ours, but could not be overtaken.

So prematurely and repeatedly had General Loring permitted the head of the column to halt, that even his skirmishers were not kept within continuous sight of the enemy. Though I followed after the cavalry and entered the town in advance of the skirmishers, yet both the enemy's artillery and infantry were out of sight. I moved on towards Sir John's Run Depot, the direction in which there was reason to believe that they had retreated, until I had advanced sufficiently far to prevent Colonel Gilham from missing the way to the depot. Immediately afterwards I returned to the road leading to the railroad bridge over the Big Cacapon River, and directed Colonel Rust to move to the bridge and destroy it. I then returned towards Bath, for the purpose of following in person the road taken by the fugitive cavalry, and which was the only remaining one by which the enemy could have escaped, and on the way directed Colonel Maney to continue scouring the hill that he was then moving upon, and afterwards to join me.

On my way I met the cavalry returning from the pursuit of the enemy's, which they had been unable to overtake; but as it was important, if practicable, to enter Hancock that night, the pursuit was renewed and continued until we arrived within sight of the town, when part of the cavalry was ordered to dismount and scour the woods to our right and front. Soon after some of the Federal cavalry was seen, and orders were given to charge upon them, but the fire from an ambuscade rendered it imprudent to proceed far in this charge.

Lieutenant Launtz and 2 privates were wounded.

Captain Harper and his command in this charge deserve special mention.

Shortly afterwards General Loring came up with infantry and artillery, but as it was now dark, instructions were given to clear the woods of the enemy by a few rounds of artillery. As the U. S. troops had repeatedly shelled Shepherdstown, and had even done so while there were no troops in the place and it was not used as a means of defense, I determined to intimate to the enemy that such outrages must not be repeated, and directed a few rounds from McLaughlin's battery to be fired at Hancock.

Colonel Gilham, while moving with his brigade in the direction of Sir John's Run Depot, came up with the enemy, but as he neither attacked them nor notified me of the cause of not doing, so nor even of his having overtaken the Federal forces, their artillery and infantry were permitted to escape.

Colonel Rust, in command of his own and Colonel Fulkerson's regiment and one section of Shumaker's battery, when near the railroad bridge over the Big Cacapon, became engaged with the enemy and sustained some loss, but there is reason to believe that the loss of the enemy was still greater. Colonel Rust and his command merit special praise for their conduct in this affair.