Today in History:

494 Series I Volume V- Serial 5 - West Virginia

Page 494 OPERATIONS IN MD.,N.VA., AND W.VA. Chapter XIV.

Redmond Burke, Chief Bugler Steele, Privates Lewis, Barnes, Harris, Barton, Landstreet, Routh, Brigman, Thompson, and Carroll, of my escort, deserve my thanks for their promptness and accuracy in conveying orders and instructions.

Had we effected the safety of our wagons-constituting the greater part of the available means of transportation of this army-with great loss to ourselves, without inflicting much on the enemy, alone would have been a triumph of which the brave men of the four regiments under my command could be proud; but when it is considered what overwhelming odds were against us, notwithstanding which we saved the transportation, inflicted upon the enemy loss severer than our own, rendering him unequal to the task of pursuit, retired in perfect order, and bringing with us nearly all our wounded, we may rightly call it a glorious success.

Our entire loss is as follows:

Killed Wounded Missing

Eleventh Virginia 6 15 -

Volunteers

Sixth South 18 45 -

Carolina

Volunteers

Tenth Alabama 15 45 6

Volunteers

First Kentucky 1 23 2

Volunteers

Cutt's battery 3 15 -

Cavalry - - -

Total 43 143 8

The list of killed has been materially increased by deaths which have occurred since the battle, as the number found dead on the field was only 27.

I have the honor to be, major, respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. E. B. STUART,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major THOMAS A. PRATT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

DECEMBER 24-25, 1861.-Scout towards Fairfax Court-House, Va.

Report of Lieutenant Henry Schickhardt, Thirty-first New York Infantry.

CAMP THIRTY-FIRST NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, December 26, 1861.

SIR: In obedience to orders received I started on a scout towards Fairfax Court-House on the 24th instant, accompanied by Lieutenant Frossard, of this regiment, and 2 men of my company. Between the hurs of 3 and 11 p.m. on that day we traversed the whole section of country lying between Accotink Creek and the Little River turnpike, but without going farther north than the Falls Church and Fairfax Court-House road, without seeing an enemy, although their many tracks gave evidence of their frequent passage in almost every direction. During the entire night we heard heavy firing in a southwesterly, also in a northeasterly direction. We also heard noises which evidently


Page 494 OPERATIONS IN MD.,N.VA., AND W.VA. Chapter XIV.