Today in History:

693 Series I Volume XXI- Serial 31 - Fredericksburg

Page 693 Chapter XXXIII. SKIRMISH ON THE OCCOQUAN, VA.


HEADQUARTERS, January 31, 1863.

Respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant and Inspector General. I with pleasure call the attention of the Department to Major White, who seems to have captured 77 men during his expedition, in addition to the enemy killed.

R. E. LEE,
General.

DECEMBER 19, 1862.-Skirmish on the Occoquan, Va.

LIST OF REPORTS.


No. 1.-Colonel Josiah H. Kellogg, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.


No. 2.-General Robert E. Lee, C. S. Army.


No. 3.-Brigadier General Wade Hampton, C. S. Army.


No. 1. Reports of Colonel Josiah H. Kellogg, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

DECEMBER 19, 1862.

GENERAL: Cavalry of Hampton's Legion, 150 strong, at Snyder's Ford, and 100 at Occoquan Ferry, destroyed the boat at Occoquan. We have driven them from both places, and they then retreated toward Dumfries. They left precipitately and left the trains that they had captured. I will camp in company with Colonel Rush, near Violet's, on the Telegraph road. From the fact of its being cavalry of Hampton's Legion, we infer there is a strong force back of it.

We will scour the country and hold our own to-morrow. We will have to build a new boat or go to Wolf Run Crossing; in either case we have not forage or rations enough to reach General Burnside.

JOSIAH H. KELLOGG,

Colonel Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

General SLOUGH, Alexandria.

CAMP NEAR STAFFORD COURT-HOUSE, VA., December 27, 1862.

COLONEL: In accordance with instruction from Headquarters Eleventh Army Corps, I have the honor to report that on Thursday, the 18th December, 1862, in compliance with Special Orders from Headquarters Defenses of Washington, I marched with my command from the end of Long Bridge, opposite Washington, D. C., to join this army. Having been informed by the commanding officer of the detachment of Second Pennsylvania Cavalry doing duty at Aaccotink, Va., that his pickets extended to the river at Occoquan, I was marching at the head of my column, on Friday, 19th December, 1862, about half a mile from the river Occoquan, on the ferry road, when I was fired into by the enemy's pickets. I had been informed but five minutes before by our own pickets. I had been informed but five minutes before by our own pickets on the road that all was quiet in front. I halted the column long enough only to send forward an advance guard and flankers, and then pushed on to the river. When I reached it I found the ferry-boat sunk and the enemy's carbineers, who occupied the town on the other side,


Page 693 Chapter XXXIII. SKIRMISH ON THE OCCOQUAN, VA.