which consisted of dismounted cavalry strongly posted behind long lines of barricades, with their flanks well secured. Colonel Atkins was directed to move forward and make the barricade, but the enemy was found to be more strongly posted than was anticipated, and the first attack was a failure. The Ninety-second Illinois Mounted Infantry was dismounted, the Tenth Ohio and Ninth Michigan Cavalry, in columns of four by battalions, were sent in on the right, and the Ninth Ohio Cavalry was placed in the same order on the left. The Tenth Wisconsin Battery (Captain Beebe) was brought up to within less than 600 yards, and opened on the barricades, and the enemy's artillery, in all five pieces, were forced to withdraw. At this moment, all being ready, the charge was sounded, the whole line moved forward in splendid order, and never halted for one moment until the barricades were gained and the enemy routed. A few hundred yards beyond he made several counter-charges to save his dismounted men and check our rapid advance. At one time he had nearly succeeded, when the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, Colonel Heath, who had been sent out on our right, charged the enemy in flank and rear, when he gave way at all points and rapidly fell back to the town of Waynesborough. Here he was found occupying a second line of barricades, with artillery, as before, and his flanks so far extended that it was useless to attempt to turn them. I therefore determined to break his center. Colonel Murray, having the advance, was directed to make a disposition accordingly. The Eighth Indiana (Lieutenant-Colonel Jones) was dismounted and pushed forward as skirmishers. The Ninth Pennsylvania (Colonel Jordan), in columns of fours by battalion, had the left; the Third Kentucky (Lieutenant-Colonel King) the center; the Fifth Kentucky (Colonel Baldwin) and Second Kentucky (Captain Forman) the right. The advance was sounded, and in less than twenty minutes the enemy was driven from his position, the town gained, and Wheeler's entire force completely routed. The Fifth Ohio, Fifth Kentucky, and a portion of the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry followed in close pursuit to Brier Creek, a distance of eight miles from the point where the first attack was made. After burning the bridges above and below the railroad bridge, as well as the latter, the command marched to Alexander and encamped for the night. In this engagement Wheeler's cavalry corps, consisting of four divisions and two independent brigades, as has since been ascertained, was not only defeated and driven a distance of eight miles, but completely routed. The men of my command fought most bravely throughout the day, and it is impossible to single out from among the officers individual cases of gallantry when all did so well. My casualties on this day, as well as on all others, will be found in a separate report accompanying this. Judging from the enemy's killed and wounded left on the field, his loss must have been severe; upward of 200 left in our hands were wounded by the saber alone.

December 5, we marched from Alexander to Jacksonborough, covering the rear of the Fourteenth Army Corps. December 6, Colonel Murray (First Brigade) marched to Springfield, moving in rear of the Twentieth Army Corps. The Second Brigade (Colonel Atkins) moved to Hudson's Ferry. December 7, when near Sister's Ferry, the Ninth Michigan Cavalry (Colonel Acker), acting as rear guard to the Second Brigade, received and repulsed an attack made by Ferguson's cavalry. December 8, Second Brigade crossed Ebenezer Creek, and the whole command united on the Monteith road, ten miles south of Springfield. From this point the command moved in rear of Seventeenth Army