troops remained on the heights several days, skirmishing with the. enemy, who made no serious attempt to carry the position. Brigadier-General Howe, having arrived from Washington, relieved General Sigel [July 8] by order of the War Department and assumed command of the Military District of Harper's Ferry, extending from the Monocacy west to Hancock. Soon after MajorGeneral Hunter with his forces reached Harper's Ferry from the Kanawha Valley, and the rebels having gone round by Frederick, Md., toward Baltimore and Washington, he moved to Monocacy Junction; thence returned to Harper's Ferry; thence the forces, under command of Brigadier-General Sullivan, moved to Hillsborough, at which place General Sullivan was relieved by BrigadierGeneral Crook, who joined Major-General Wright's command, Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps, at Purcellville. The united forces then moved to Snicker's Gap, where the troops under General Crook engaged the enemy. Major-General Wright, with the Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps, having returned to Washington, BrigadierGeneral Crook moved up to Winchester.

July 24.-Fought the battle of Kernstown, which resulted in his retreat by way of Martinsburg and Shepherdstown to Harper's Ferry.

MAY 2-19, 1864.-Expeditions against the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad,

May

SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

2, 1864.-Expedition under command of Brig. Gen. George Crook, U. S. Army, sets out from the Kanawha River.

4, 1864.-Affair at Callaghan's Station.

5, 1864.-Expedition under command of Brig. Gen. William W. Averell, U. S. Army, sets out from Logan Court-House.

6, 1864.-Skirmish at Princeton.

8, 1864.-Skirmish at Jeffersonville.

9, 1864.-Engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, or Cloyd's Farm.

10, 1864.-Engagement at Cove Mountain, or Grassy Lick, near Wytheville.

Skirmish at New River Bridge.

11, 1864.-Skirmish at Blacksburg.

12-13, 1864.-Skirmishes near Newport, at Brown's Ferry, Salt Ponds (or Salt Pond Mountain), and Gap Mountain.

15, 1864.-Averell's and Crook's commands unite at Union.

19, 1864.-The Union forces reach Meadow Bluff.

REPORTS, ETC.*

No. 1.-Brig. Gen. George Crook, U. S. Army, commanding Second Infantry Division, Department of West Virginia, &c.

No. 2.-Return of Casualties in the Union forces in the engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 3.-Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 4.-Lieut. Col. James M. Comly, Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 5. Col. Hiram F. Devol, Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

*See also itinerary, p. 5.

No. 6. Col. Carr B. White, Twelfth Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No 7.-Lieut. Col. Jonathan D. Hines, Twelfth Ohio Infantry, of skirmishes at Princeton and New River Bridge, and engagement at Cloyd's Mountain. No. 8.-Col. John A. Turley, Ninety-first Ohio Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmish at New River Bridge.

No. 9.-Col. Isaac H. Duval, Ninth West Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 10.-Col. Daniel D. Johnson, Fourteenth West Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 11.-Col. Horatio G. Sickel, Third Pennsylvania Reserves, commanding Third Brigade.

No. 12.-Capt. Robert Johnson, Third Pennsylvania Reserves.

No. 13.-Lieut. Col. Thomas F. B. Tapper, Fourth Pennsylvania Reserves.

No. 14.-Col. Daniel Frost, Eleventh West Virginia Infantry.

No. 15.-Lieut. Col. Thomas Morris, Fifteenth West Virginia Infantry.

No. 16.-Capt. James R. McMullin, First Ohio Battery, Chief of Artillery, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmishes at New River Bridge and Salt Pond Mountain.

No. 17.-Capt. Daniel W. Glassie, First Kentucky Battery, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmishes at New River Bridge and Salt Pond Mountain.

No. 18.-Lieut. George P. Kirtland, First Ohio Battery, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmishes at New River Bridge and Salt Pond Mountain. No. 19.-Brig. Gen. William W. Averell, U. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Division. No. 20.-Col. John McCausland, Thirty-sixth Virginia Infantry, commanding Department of Western Virginia.

No. 21.-Maj. William E. Fife, Thirty-sixth Virginia Infantry, of operations May 8-14, No. 22.-Col. William H. Browne, Forty-fifth Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 23.-Lieut. Col. Henry M. Beckley, Forty-fifth Battalion Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmish at New River Bridge. No. 24.-Col. Beuhring H. Jones, Sixtieth Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 25.-Capt. Henry C. Douthat, Botetourt (Virginia) Artillery, of skirmish at New River Bridge.

No. 26.-Lieut. Giles A. Fowlkes, Bryan's (Virginia) Battery, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

No. 27.-Capt. Crispin Dickenson, Ringgold (Virginia) Battery, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmish at New River Bridge.

No. 28.-Col. William H. French, Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry, commanding brigade, of operations May 6-16.

No. 29.-Col. William L. Jackson, Nineteenth Virginia Cavalry, of operations May

5-13.

No. 30.-Col. D. Howard Smith, Fifth Kentucky Cavalry, commanding brigade, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain, and skirmish at New River Bridge.

No. 1.

Report of Brig. Gen. George Crook, U. S. Army, commanding Second Infantry Division, Department of West Virginia, &c.

HDQRS. SECOND INFANTRY DIV., DEPT. OF W. Va.,

Meadow Bluff, May 23, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, in accordance with instructions from the major-general commanding the department, I

left the Kanawha River on the 2d instant to operate against the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The withdrawal of so much force from the Kanawha Valley and my instructions to swing around to my left flank would leave my right exposed; consequently I sent Brig. Gen. W. W. Averell, with a mounted force of 2,000 picked men, to move via Logan Court-House to Saltville, on the railroad, to take and destroy that place if possible; thence to destroy the railroad to Dublin Depot so as to render that country untenable to the enemy, while I with the main infantry column, consisting of the First Brigade-Twenty-third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Thirtysixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and parts of the Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Mounted Infantry, and Fifth and Seventh Virginia Cavalry (all dismounted)-under command of Col. R. B. Hayes; the Second Brigade-Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Ninth Virginia Infantry, and Fourteenth Virginia Infantry-under command of Col. C. B. White; the Third Brigade Third and Fourth Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps, Eleventh and Fifteenth Virginia Infantry-under the command of Col. H. G. Sickel, and the First Ohio Battery, Capt. J. R. McMullin, and First Kentucky Battery, Capt. D. W. Glassie, the whole numbering 6,155 men, moved by Fayetteville and Princeton. To deceive the enemy as to the route, I sent the Fifth Virginia Infantry, Col. A. A. Tomlinson commanding, with Lieutenant Blazer's scouts, on the Lewisburg road, the colonel carrying out his part so well that the enemy withdrew his guerrillas from the Princeton road, and not a hostile gun was fired at us until we reached the vicinity of Princeton, where we met a small company of cavalry, who, after skirmishing awhile with our advance, fled precipitately toward Rocky Gap. I learned at this place that McCausland's brigade had left here the evening previous for Lewisburg. So little did they expect us on this route they had left their tents standing, and the tools they had been erecting fortifications with in their barracks, all of which were destroyed.

The next two days was occupied in marching to Shannon's Bridge, on the northwestern slope of Walker's or Cloyd's Mountain, a distance of forty-five miles. Nothing worthy of note occurred during this march, except the occasional firing of straggling bands that we paid no attention to. At Shannon's Bridge we were joined by Col. J. H. Oley, Seventh West Virginia Cavalry, with 400 mounted men, who were to join me at Princeton, via Logan Court-House, but was prevented arriving on time by unforeseen circumstances.

Here I understood that the enemy were holding the summit of this mountain, and next morning (the 9th) I took the Second Brigade and two regiments of the Third Brigade and ascended the mountain to the left of the road, but when I reached the summit I discovered the enemy in position on a wooded spur of this mountain some threefourths of a mile distant, and opposite to and commanding the point where the road debouched from the mountain. From the summit of the mountain I sent the Second Brigade to our left and to turn the enemy's right flank, and taking the two regiments of the Third Brigade, I joined the remainder of the command, which by this time was descending the slope of the mountain. The enemy during this time kept up a grave-yard whistle with their artillery everywhere we made our appearance. The Second Brigade, having many sharp and brushy ridges and deep gullies to cross over, were a long time getting into position. I then sent the First Brigade to the left of the road to form in the edge of the woods to support and join on to

the right of the Second Brigade, and the Third Brigade formed on the right of the First. As soon as the Second Brigade had fairly engaged the enemy, I ordered a charge of the other two brigades. across the intervening meadow of from one-fourth to one-half mile wide. These brigades charged across this meadow through a most galling fire of musketry and artillery. A part of the Third Brigade was thrown into confusion for a while but soon rallied and came up in good style; it was then that the gallant Colonel Woolworth fell. On arriving at the foot of the slope upon which the enemy were posted we encountered a sunken muddy stream waist deep. The men plunged in and crossed to the opposite side, where they were under shelter from the enemy's bullets. After taking breath the men commenced ascending the ridge, which in places was at an angle of sixty degrees, under a most galling fire. The ranks wavered a little in spots, but the general line moved steadily on until near the enemy's formidable breast-works on the crest of the ridge, a species of chevalde-frise made of rails inverted, when the men rushed forward with a yell, the enemy remaining behind their works until battered away by our men. Heaps of their dead were lying behind their works, mostly shot in the head. Finally the enemy commenced wavering, and the impetuosity with which our men charged them soon made a general rout of their ranks; then ensued a scene of great carnage of the enemy; our men followed them as fast as their tired and wornout condition would permit. Colonel Oley with his cavalry was ordered up, but his men were the odds and ends of several regiments, many with broken-down horses, and were not in a condition for the service that was required of them.

Had I but 1,000 effective cavalry none of the enemy could have escaped. The enemy left on the field two pieces of artillery and a great number of small-arms. In some two miles from Dublin we encountered some 500 or 1,000 of General Morgan's men, who had just arrived from Saltville on the cars about ten minutes before. They soon broke and fled precipitately after their comrades. No enemy could be found on our arrival at Dublin but had fled in direction of the New River bridge. During the first part of the engagement our artillery could not be used, but during the pursuit the artillery did good work.

From the best information I could get the enemy had some 4,000 to 7,000 men, under command of General Jenkins. A very intelligent captain of theirs, who was mortally wounded, stated our numbers very accurately, and declared that their force was greater than ours. The prisoners taken were from fourteen different regiments. Our loss in killed was 107, wounded 508, missing 28. Most of the missing, I think, straggled back to the hospital. We buried over 200 of the enemy's dead and captured 230 prisoners besides their wounded. It was impossible for me to ascertain the number of their wounded, but allowing the usual percentage to their killed their wounded must have been at least from 800 to 1,000.

General A. G. Jenkins and Lieutenant-Colonel Smith fell into our hands, seriously wounded, who gave their paroles to report at Charleston as soon as their wounds will admit, if not properly exchanged before that time. I also learned from various sources that hundreds of their men had deserted to the mountains; several came out with us. I regret that from want of transportation I was compelled to leave some 200 of my most seriously wounded cases in hospital near the battle-field. Plenty of supplies and medical attendance was left with them.

During the storming of the enemy's works I was with the First Brigade, and can bear testimony to the gallant manner with which both officers and men did their work. Not being personally cognizant of the individuals who deserve particular mention I most cheerfully and heartily indorse those who have been so mentioned by their regimental and brigade commanders, particularly Col. I. H. Duval, Ninth Virginia Regiment, with his gallant regiment, who stormed the enemy's works without wavering, losing one-third of his regiment in killed and wounded.

I am much indebted for the success of this battle to the brigade commanders, Cols. H. G. Sickel, C. B. White, and R. B. Hayes, for their personal bravery, their hearty co-operation, and the intelligent manner in which they carried out and anticipated my orders and plans.

At Dublin many public stores fell into our hands. There I saw dispatches from Richmond stating that General Grant had been repulsed and was retreating, which determined me to move to Lewisburg as rapidly as possible.

On the next morning (the 10th) I moved on to New River bridge and found the enemy had evacuated their works, burnt the carriages of their two siege pieces in position, and retreated to the opposite side of the river, where they were drawn up in line. After an artillery duel of a couple of hours, the enemy were compelled to retire, when we destroyed the bridge and other public property in vicinity. Our loss here was 1 killed and 10 wounded. Maj. B. M. Skinner, acting assistant inspector-general, was wounded slightly by the explosion of a shell. Great praise is due to Capt. J. R. McMullin and the artillery under him in this engagement. We then moved down and crossed the river at Pepper's Ferry.

The next morning 50 prisoners arrived from General Averell, and I then learned that he had not succeeded in reaching Saltville, but would strike the railroad at Wytheville. Moved to Blacksburg that day. That night heard by courier from General Averell that he met a large force, and could not get to Wytheville, but would be at Dublin that night. I consequently sent him instructions to move toward Lynchburg, destroying the railroad.

Next morning I started to Union through a drenching rain. At the junction of the road from the Narrows of New River we met Mudwall Jackson with 1,500 meu, who fled precipitately toward the Narrows, leaving knapsacks, camp and garrison equipage, provisions, &c. The roads began to get most impassable. Much of our train could not get into camp this night, but was strung out over Salt Pond Mountain. The wagons in many places would go down to their beds in the mud. Many of the teams were giving out, and we had no forage for them, and had Peter's Mountain yet to cross before we could get any. I was compelled to destroy some of my loads, so as to lighten up my wagons. I regard the bringing through our train with so slight a loss as one of the most remarkable features of the expedition, and certainly reflects great credit on the quartermaster's department. A great deal of this transportation was received just on the eve of our departure from Charleston, when it was too late to get other and certainly better transportation, it being sent to the rear from our large armies every day as being unserviceable. On Peter's Mountain some of Jackson's force had abandoned one piece of artillery and some eight or ten wagons and ambulances. I marched via Union and Alderson's Ferry to this place, arriving here on the 19th. General Averell with his command joined us at Union. We were nine days coming from