I will announce my approbation in a general order. Your telegram has been forwarded to Washington. You shall have the boat you desire by 11 tomorrow. Will not you and Mrs. Wistar come down?

Benj. F. Butler,

Major-General, Commanding.

------------------

DECEMBER 13, 1863 - Affair at Germantown, Va.

Report of Colonel Charles R. Lowell, jr., Second Massachusetts Cavalry.

Vienna, Va.,

December 13, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that the dismounted party set out some days since returned today, after scouting in the direction of Dranesville. They report everything quiet in that vicinity. Mosby, after attacking the picket post at Lewinsville, went up through Dranesville. They reported there that they had been whipped and 3 of their men badly wounded.

This morning at about 3 o'clock the picket at Germantown were surprised by a party of guerrillas, dismounted, some 20 strong. They crawled up and shot (without any warning), mortally wounding 2 men and capturing 5 horses and their equipments.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. R. Lowell, jr.,

Colonel.

Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Taylor,

Chief of Staff, and Assistant Adjutant-General.

_______________

DECEMBER 13, 1863 - Affair at Hurricane Bridge, W. Va.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Comly, Twenty-third Ohio Infantry.

Charleston, w. Va., December 15, 1863.

(Received 9.10 p.m.)

GENERAL: Kelley's dispatch just received. The information of the approach of the enemy came from Camp Piatt, Gallipolis, and Barboursville simultaneously. I had no force with which to make any attempt to cut them off. Two gunboats were extemporized - one here, to patrol down the river, and one at Gallipolis, to patrol up.

One small party succeeded in crossing during the night, and cut the wire near Red House. No other damage has been done. The lines are now up.

The enemy attacked a small force at Hurricane Bridge Sunday (13th) afternoon. That night our forces escaped, with 2 missing. The enemy left, probably, at about the same time in great haste, going toward Barboursville, taking nothing with them. It is doubtful whether they discovered that our force had left. Our force was only half a company, under Captain Young, of the Eleventh [West]

62 R R - VOL XXIX, PT I