and arms to be carried at a trail. By marching 4 miles in a northwesterly direction, in a zigzag line along ditches and behind fences, I succeeded in reaching the mountains without being seen by the enemy, as I was told afterward by a wounded rebel officer, General Echols having no idea of the approach of infantry from this direction until I drove in his pickets.

It was now 2 o'clock, and for about one hour I had been marching due south, describing nearly a semi-circle of about 9 miles from the starting point, driving the enemy's skirmishers steadily. The firing grew stronger in my front, and I had just increased my line of skirmishers to three companies from the Twenty-eighth Regiment, when I arrived in front the enemy's position, covered by a kind of hedge constructed of logs and brush. I had ordered, the Twenty-eighth Regiment forward into line and Colonel Harris's Tenth [West] Virginia Regiment to move up in double-quick. Prevented by trees and thick undergrowth from seeing more than 25 or 30 yards ahead, they allowed my line to approach within that distance. Now rising and yelling like Indians, they poured a tremendous fire into the Twenty-eighth, advancing rapidly at the same time. This was the critical moment of the day. I ordered the Twenty-eighth Regiment to lie down and fire by file. The sudden disappearance of the regiment and the increasing fire through the underbrush had an almost stunning effect upon the enemy. They hesitated. Colonel Harris, who had great difficulty to extricate his Tenth [West] Virginia Regiment through cavalry horses and other obstacles, now came up, just in the nick of time. I ordered the colonel to front he regiment by inversion and form on the right of the Twenty-eighth, which was promptly executed.

Detailing one company of each regiment to march in the rear as a small reserve and to guard the flanks, I ordered the charge, and with cheers completely drowning the hideous yells of the enemy, my infantry pressed forward continuously until my left reached the cleared hill, where the rebel artillery was. They had just limbered up and started toward the pike. At this time the right of the dismounted men joined my left, coming up through a ravine. Now the wildest scene ensued right in front, our men pouring a deadly fire into the moving rebels, killing and wounding artillery horses; rebel officers urging to make another stand, others cutting loose fallen horses, driving and pushing on cannon and caissons through their infantry. In a few moments this fast-moving mass melted away by scattering through the woods south of the pike. When my right wing came up with the pike no enemy could be seen except the dead and wounded. Farther up the pike a portion of my command fired at two rapidly moving spring wagons, killing two of the horses. They captured the wagons and found them filled with wounded rebels. The commanding general coming up, I was ordered to march the infantry forward as far as possible. I marched till after dark, 6 miles, and bivouacked on the roadside, the men being rather tired, but in high spirits.

On November 8, at Lewisburg, I was ordered to proceed to Beverly with the infantry, battery, dismounted men, horses, and prisoners, with instructions to capture all small-arms, cattle, horses, and to destroy the rebel camps, &c., all of which I did as far as practicable.

At Hillsborough I took 55 of our own and 1 rebel wounded, and comfortably placed them in ambulances and wagons filled with