month excused by brigade Surgeon Gaus for twenty days, remained in hospital at Winchester, Va., until the 13th instant, at which time he returned to the regiment, and on the 14th reported for duty with his regiment. I make this statement in order to do full justice to all. Respectfully submitted.

HENRY H. WITHERS,

Major, Commanding Regiment.

No. 118. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Van H. Bukey, Eleventh West Virginia Infantry, of operations October 19.

HDQRS. ELEVENTH WEST VIRGINIA INFANTRY VOLS.,
Cedar Creek, Va., October 25, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the action of the 19th instant:

Near 5 a. m. the firing on the left alarmed my camp, and the men were quickly in line under arms at the works immediately to the left of the battery, on the extreme right of the line of the army of West Virginia. When I arrived at the works I found some of my men firing to the front, and fearing injury to some of our own command in front, and seeing no enemy there at that time, I ordered them to cease firing. I had not passed from the left to right of my regiment, however, before the Fifteenth West Virginia, immediately on my left, fell back from the works, and my flank received a pretty severe, but, owing to fog and darkness, not accuracy fire. my regiment then gave way by companies from the left, obliquing to the right and rear down the hill. We assisted, however, in running some (I think five) of the pieces of the battery above named to the rear, whence they were taken off. I did not succeed in forming my regiment until we had crossed the ravine toward the turnpike, when I formed a perfect line and remained in that position a short time. Being left separated from my brigade, and hearing firing almost directly in my rear, I moved "by right of companies to rear" through the woods, where, finding I was in great danger of being cut off (the rebels having the hill commanding the turnpike from the creek northward), I formed columns and filed my command in rear of the left of the works of the Nineteenth Corps. I am satisfied that had I been a few minutes later my command would have been cut off. I had taken this position but a short time when our left was attacked, and a staff officer (I think of the Nineteenth Corps) ordered me to move to the rear, changing front forward on left company. I had faced my command to the left, when all in front of us broke, and my command was carried with the press in confusion toward the stone house now used as General Sheridan's headquarters. A few of my command returned to the breast-works, but as they were otherwise deserted they were compelled to leave them. My command being from this time so scattered I cannot say that it took part as a command in the subsequent action of the forenoon. I exerted myself to reorganize, and whenever I found officers of my command, directed them to retain all men of the regiment with whom they could meet and rally on General Crook's flag. I succeeded in rallying most of the regiment, when the brigade was formed in rear