shot twice and is not expected to live. Private Houghtaling is, I fear, mortally wounded. I captured 2 good horses, 5 shot-guns, 1 Hall's rifle, and 2 pistols. The names of the prisoners are as follows: W. D. Farley, first lieutenant, South Carolina Volunteers, captain, on General Bonham's staff; F. De Caradene, lieutenant, Seventh South Carolina Volunteers; P. W. Casper, Seventh South Carolina Volunteers; Thos. Coleman, citizen, of Dranesville, is dangerously wounded; F. Hildebrand and A. M. Whitten, privates, Thirtieth Virginia Cavalry, taken at Dranesville on picket. We killed or captured all we saw.

I cannot close this report without speaking of the splendid manner in which both men and officers behaved. The fine manner in which Majors Jones, Byrnes (second Lieutenant, Fifth Cavalry), and Barrows acted cannot be too highly commended or appreciated. All acted well, and I cannot but thus publicly express my admiration for their truly admirable behavior.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. D. BAYARD,

Colonel First Pennsylvania Regiment Cavalry.

Captain H. J. BIDDLE, A. A. G., McCall's Division.

NOVEMBER 27, 1861.-Skirmish near Fairfax Court-House, Va.

Report of Captain William H. Boyd, First New York Cavalry, with congratulatory orders.

CAMP KEARNY, NEAR ALEXANDRIA, VA.,

November 27, 1861.

SIR: A reconnoitering party of a squadron of cavalry (consisting of my company and Captain Bennett's) was ordered out this day under my command.

The command proceeded along the Little River turnpike to within a short distance of Annandale, where we passed the last of our pickets. Here we halted, and I ordered the arms to be loaded, and sent forward an advance guard, consisting of a dozen good men armed with Sharp's rifled carbines, under the command of Lieutenant Stevenson of my company. I also detached a rear guard and flank patrols under the direction of Lieutenant Woodruff and Thomas, Captain Bennett and myself remaining with the main body. In this order we proceeded to within 1 1/4 miles of Fairfax Court-House, where we learned that about a dozen of the enemy's cavalry had been there early in the morning for corn. From here we marched forward to within about 1,000 yards of the Court-House, when our advance guard were suddenly fired upon by the enemy's infantry from behind a large rifle-pit running diagonally across the turnpike, covering the approach to the village. The direction of the pit was from right to left. The advance guard immediately deployed to the right and left, some of them sheltering themselves behind a house on the left of the pit, from which they kept up a lively fire upon the enemy's cavalry, who showed themselves in scattering groups at various points, evidently for the purpose of drawing us out. On the first shot being fired I rode forward to reconnoiter, having halted the main body and leaving them under command of Captain Bennett, where they remained concealed from the enemy's view during the whole affair, none but the advance guard being engaged. As one of my men

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