HEADQUARTERS, December 29, 1863.

Respectfully forwarded for information of the Department.

The circumstances that prevented General Fitzhugh Lee coming up with the enemy were beyond his control.

R. E. LEE

General.

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DECEMBER 9, 1863 - Affairs at and near Lewinsville, Va.

Report of Colonel Charles R. Lowell, jr., Second Massachusetts Cavalry.

Vienna, Va.,
December 10, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that the party sent out, on the 8th instant, through Frying Pan and Dranesville returned late last evening without success. They report having seen scattering parties of guerrillas, which they pushed but failed to capture. At about 12 o'clock last night firing was heard in the direction of the vedette station on the junction of the Lewinsville road and Leesburg and Alexandria Pike. It appears that Mosby and 30 men attacked the corporal and 5 men stationed there. His advance was halted by the vedette, and the reply was given, "Friends, with the countersign;" an instant after the whole party charged down on the post while the corporal and his men were in the act of mounting. They captured two men, one of them supposed to be wounded, and 5 horses. They left one horse dead on the field, this horse belonging to the man who had answered the challenge. It was reported at an adjoining house that one of there men was badly wounded.

Simultaneously with this attack, 30 men (supposed to be under Captain Smith and Lieutenant Turner, of Mosby's command) attacked the Lewinsville Station. This party stopped at the house of a Mr. Griffith, a good Union man, and demanded of him where the picket was stationed. He misled them, so that instead of charging on the reserve, they found only the vedette in the road, as it happened.

The officer of the picket was visiting this post at the time. The rebels scattered their men and endeavored to effect their capture. The officer was thrown from his horse and slightly injured, but they both succeeded in making their escape. The reserve turned out dismounted, and the rebels continued at a charge up the road toward Leesburg. There being no officer at the post, the men failed to mount and pursue. One of Mosby's men was captured with his horse, arms and equipments. On the alarm a force of 40 men, under Captain Taylor, of the Thirteenth New York Cavalry, was sent out to cut off their retreat, but failed to come up with them, as Mosby soon after this scattered his men through the woods.

The report of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry being in this vicinity id unfounded, except so far as some 30 men and an officer of this regiment being ordered down on recruiting service.

I am, colonel, very respectfully,

C. R. LOWELL, JR.

Colonel, &c.

Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Taylor, Chief of Staff.