mounted and a very considerably larger force dismounted, and deploying right and left of the road under cover of the woods and a rail fence, evidently intending to flank us on all sides and capture us. I then ordered the men to return to the barn-yard, tie up the horses, and take position behind our defenses and defend ourselves as best we could. The men fired steady and with precision, and staid their advance for the time being; but as their force was being constantly augmented from the woods I finally gave the order to mount and make our retreat, that being the only way I could then see to save our horses. We retreated toward the woods paroled with their line, they keeping up a constant firing, it being now the only route left open to us. While running the gauntlet 3 men were wounded, 1 in the thigh and 2 about the head; the latter 2 not seriously. Two horses were shot and disabled and left behind.

When we reached the woods I gave directions that we should turn the enemy's flank, go back by their rear, and join the infantry on the Decatur road, which I then supposed to be about 4 miles back of where we had the skirmish. I then for the first time discovered that five of my men were missing, and supposed that they had got scattered from the main body and would join the infantry that night or in the morning. The country through which we retreated was a secession, guerrilla neighborhood, and when within 2 1/2 miles of the main road four more shots were fired upon us, and one of my men had his saber and scabbard shot entirely off the belt. One mile falter on I was hot, the ball entering the body near the upper point of the hip bone, traversing down and around the hip, lodging on the inside of the thigh nearly one-third of the way down to the knee, giving me a gunshot wound in my body of considerably over one foot in length. I then determined to change my course and come into camp by a by-road, which I did that night by 12 o'clock, having ridden 18 miles after being shot.

Three of my missing men returned this morning and state that they made their way to the next forenoon. They report two men still missing, one having been taken prisoner and the other either a prisoner or killed, they were not able to say positively which.

I have lost 3 horses (2 shot and disabled and the third taken with the prisoners), 2 full horse equipments, 2 carbines, 3 sabers, and 4 pistols.

The enemy had between 75 and 100 men, and report 2 killed and 2 severely wounded upon their side.

S. C. WRITER,

Captain, Commanding Company I, First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.

Colonel MINOR MILLIKEN,

Commanding First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.