at Brown's Ferry, near Abbeville, the previous night, and going into camp remained till 4 a. m., then took the road to Irwinville, Ga., in the direction of which place Colonel Harnden moved with his detachment. Colonel Pritchard did not them intend taking up the pursuit, but obtaining information of a road about twelve miles below which led direct to Irwinville, he determined to follow up, and if possible intercept the train and party, and if they should attempt to take the other road, to arrive at Irwinville in advance of them. Taking the best mounted portion of the regiment, 145 men and eight officers (leaving the balance under command of Captain Hathaway, with instructions to picket all the ferries on the river that could be found as far as the strength of his command would permit), moved rapidly, and about dark reached Wilcox's Mills, from whence after feeding he took the direct road to irwinville, and over rapidly over a road which had been little traveled, and in some places could hardly be discovered.

For fifteen miles not a house was seen nor a cultivated field; it was a vast pine forest. Arrived at Irwinville about 2 a. m. on the 10th instant. Not a sound was heard, and nothing indicated that a train or any troops had passed that way. By inquiring at once or two places it was learned that there was a camp about a mile from town on the Abbeville road. Men who had belonged to it had called at different places and represented themselves to be Texas and Mississippi troops. Nothing further could be learned as to whether there were wagons or not at the camp. Finding a negro who knew where the camp was, Colonel Pritchard moved forward toward it very cautiously, not knowing but what the camp might be that of the First Wisconsin Cavalry, under Colonel Harnden. Arriving in the vicinity of the camp, a detachment of twenty-five men, dismounted, under command of Lieutenant Purinton, was sent around by the left flank to a position in its rear, when the command would advance and surround the camp. At daylight everything was complete and the command advanced rapidly and found the camp to be that of those whom it was in pursuit of. They were completely surprised and captured. The detachment under Lieutenant Purinton in the meantime had taken a position on the road leading into camp from Abbeville, and immediately after the capture of it a force was espied approaching, which, when it arrived in proper distance, he halted and challenged. One of the advance party answered "friends," but instead of halting turned back, and, in consequence, a sharp engagement took place with what was afterward ascertained to be the First Wisconsin Cavalry. We had 2 men killed and 1 officer wounded; 3 of the First Wisconsin were wounded. The following are the names of the killed and wounded in this regiment and a list of prisoners captured: First Lieutenant H. S. Boutell, Company C, wounded; Corp. John Hines, Company E, killed; Private John Rupert, Company C, killed. List of prisoners captured: Jefferson Davis, President Confederate States of America; John H. Reagan, Postmaster-General Confederate States of America; Colonel Johnston, aide-de-camp, President's staff; Colonel Lubbock, aide-de-camp, President's staff; Colonel B. N. Harrison, private secretary, President's staff; Major Victor Maurin, Richardson's battalion light artillery; Captain George V. Moody, Madison Light Artillery; Lieutenant Hathaway, Fourteenth Kentucky Cavalry; Midshipman Howell, C. S. Navy; Private W. W. Monroe, Fourteenth Kentucky Cavalry; Private J. Messick, Fourteenth Kentucky Cavalry; Private Sanders, Second Kentucky Cavalry; Private Walbert, Second Kentucky Cavalry; Private Baker, Second Kentucky Cavalry; Private Smith, Second Kentucky Cavalry; Private Heath, Second Kentucky