General Jones arrived at Summerville the same evening with part of his command, the remainder coming up next morning.

We ascertained that the road to Carnifix Ferry over Gauley was blockaded to such an extent that it would take several days to open it, and the ferry-boat at Hughes' Ferry was sunk. Finding the delay would be great in crossing my now large train at this ferry, I consented, at their own request, that the Twenty-second Regiment and Dunn's battalion might take that route, via Meadow Bluff, to Lewisburg, raising the boat for that purpose, and I, with the remainder of my command, would go up Gauley about 20 miles, by a country road but little known or traveled, and ford that river at the mouth of Cranberry, cross over to Cherry Tree River, and into Greenbrier near Frankfort by what is known there as the Cold Knob road, over which it was said but two wagons had ever passed before. I reached Sinking Creek, in Greenbrier, in four days, a distance of over 50 miles. On the third day out from Summerville I received my first dispatch from General Samuel Jones, a copy of which I inclose. It came too late for me to act upon its suggestions. Reaching Greenbrier, our troubles ended. We rested one day and came on to this place by easy marches.

The results of the expedition were not as great, perhaps, as they would have been with favorable weather and good roads. General Jones has doubtless communicated the immense destruction of property he effected on the railroad and elsewhere. In the horrible condition of the roads, I could not move with the celerity that was desirable, and deemed myself fortunate in being able, by pursuing an interior route, to keep the way of escape open at all times for General Jones, while he, being mounted, ventured to go much farther than I could do. I compelled the enemy to destroy large and valuable stores at Beverly, Buckhannon, Weston, Bulltown, Suttonville, and Big Birch; captured and brought away over $100,000 worth of horses, mules, wagons, and arms; burned their block-houses and stockades; forced them to burn three important and valuable covered turnpike bridges; burned six or eight wooden railroad bridges west of Fairmont; enabled the Government agents to buy and bring out to places of safety over 3,100 head of fine cattle, at a cost-stated to me by Major [W. M.] Tate, who procured a large part of them-of $300,000 less than they would sell for anywhere within our lines. I was thirty-seven days gone, marched over 400 miles, subsisted my command on half-rations a great part of the time. I lost 1 lieutenant (Vincent), Nineteenth Cavalry, and 1 man in the Eighteenth Cavalry, killed, and left to fall into the hands of the enemy 3 men, wounded, at Beverly, and 8 sick, and 3 prisoners captured; a total loss of 16. I secured between 75 and 100 recruits for my own command, including the Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Regiments, and Colonel William L. Jackson got between 300 and 400. In this respect we were all disappointed. The people now remaining in the northwest are, to all intents and purposes, a conquered people. Their spirit is broken by tyranny where they are true to our cause, and those who are against us are the blackest-hearted, most despicable villains upon the continent. I learned much on this expedition that would be of deep interest to the Government to know, but this is not the proper time or place to communicate it.

I cannot close this already prolix report without expressing my admiration of the conduct of men and officers, with the exception of part of Dunn's battalion, referred to above. Lieutenant-Colonel Dunn and a large part of his battalion are excellent officers and soldiers, and it is to be regretted that their good example is lost upon the remainder.

I have heard scarcely a complaint of any wrong done to private rights