With a single exception every officer and man came nobly up to his work and did his whole duty. The exception is the surgeon of the Fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Patrick Heany by name, who was not near his regiment, so far as I could see or learn, during any part of the fight. The wounded of his regiment were permitted to lie unattended where they fell; or, if any received attention, it was through no provision of his. Complaint has frequently been made against this officer. He is felt to be an incubus upon his regiment, wanting all the energy and providence so essential to one occupying his position. I recommend that he be discharged the service.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROB. M. WEST,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Major THEODORE H. SCHENCK,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE. KAUTZ'S CAVALRY DIVISION,
In the Field, December 12, 1864.

SIR: In obedience to orders just received, I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the operations of this brigade during Saturday last, the 10th instant:

At about 8 a.m. of that day Captain Paul, Fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding outposts, notified me that the pickets of the Third Cavalry Brigade, joining my left, had been driven in. Shortly afterward Captain Paul sent another messenger with information that his own line on the left had been driven back, and that a heavy column of rebel infantry was advancing down the Darbytown road. This information I immediately communicated to the general commanding the division. The reliving detail had just gone out, and I directed Captain Paul, he being senior, to take command of the whole and fight for every inch of ground, and to yield none until compelled to. At the same time I ordered the forces in camp to the front to man the works at my headquarters. The order given to Captain Paul was most faithfully executed by that officer, assisted by Captains Gallisath and Reinmuller, all of the Fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry, to which regiment the whole picket force of my brigade in front-about 300 men-belonged. (This number was reduced by men being sent to the rear with the horses.) Our cavalry determinedly confronted the enemy everywhere in front of this position, forcing him to advance in regular battle order, so that it was 2 p.m. before he succeeded, with his main force, driving our men inside of our breast-works. Here the enemy essayed, at first, to charge, but finding us strongly intrenched and supported by artillery, he retired to the wood, from when he kept up a skirmish with us until night-fall. Late in the afternoon he got well around toward our right, and felt of us pretty sharply, evidently with the intention of turning our position, but finding this impracticable, he desisted. Some time between dark and 8 o'clock the enemy withdrew, leaving his fired lighted to deceive us. As soon as I could get a sufficient force mounted, I directed an advance to be made, which was done. A few stragglers were picked up (six in number), but the main body had gone. By half an hour after midnight my picket-line was re-established and quiet restored. The forces engaged on our side were a detachment of the Fourth Wisconsin Battery, about eighty strong, under Lieutenant Campbell, working four 12-pounder mountain howitzers (the only artil-