lery running back on the pike, aud passed through our men to this side of Strasburg, tore up a bridge, and thus succeeded in capturing the greater part of the artillery and a number of ordnance and medical wagons and ambulances. The men scattered on the sides, and the rout was as thorough and disgraceful as ever bappened to our army.

After the utter failure of all iny attempts to rally the men I went to Fisher's Hill with the hope of rallying the troops there and forming them in the trenches, but when they reached that position the only organized body of men left was the prisoners, 1,300 in number, and the provost-guard in charge of them, and I believe that the appearance of these prisoners moving back in a body alone arrested the progress of the enemy's cavalry, as it was too dark for them to discover what they were. Mauy of the men stopped at Fisher's Hill and went to their old camps, but no organization of them could be effected, and nothing saved us but the inability of the enemy to follow with his infantry and his expectation that we would make a stand there. The state of things was distressing and mortifying beyond measure. We had within our grasp a glorious victory, and lost it by the uncontrollable propensity of our meu for plunder, in the first place, and the subsequent panic among those who had kept their places, which was without sufficient cause, for I believe that the enemy had only made the movement against us as a demonstration, hoping to protect his stores, &c., at Winchester, and that the rout of our troops was a surprise to him. I had endeavored to guard against the dangers of stopping to plunder in the camps by cautioning the division commanders and ordering them to caution their subordinates and take the most rigid measures to prevent it, and I endeavored to arrest the evil while in progress without avail. The truth is, we have very few field or company officers worth anything, almost all our good officers of that kind having been killed, wounded, or captured, and it is impossible to preserve discipline without good field and company officers.

I send you a map of the battle-field with the surrounding country. You will see marked out on it tlie different routes of the several columns. The plan was a bold one and was vigorously pursued by the division commanders, and it was successful, but the victory already gained was lost by the subsequent bad conduct of the troops. The artillery throughout, from first to last, in this as well as in all the actions I have had, behaved nobly, both officers and men, and not a piece of artillery has been lost by any fault of theirs. I attribute this good conduct on their part to the vast superiority of the officers. Colonel Carter and all his battalion commanders richly deserve promotion. They not only fought their gúns gallantly and efficiently, but they made the most strenuous efforts to rally the infantry.

It is mortifythg to me, general, to have to make these explanations of my reverses. They are due to no want of effort on my part, though it may be that I have not the capacity or judgment to prevent them. I have labored faithfully to gain success, and I have not failed to expose my person and to set an example to my men. I know that I shall have to endure censure from those who do not understand my position and difficulties, but I am still willing to make renewed efforts. If you think, however, that the interests of the service would be promoted by a change of commanders, I beg you will have no hesitation in making the change. The interests of the service are far beyond any mere personal considerations, and if they require it I am willing to surrender

*

my command into other hands. Though this affair has resulted so disastrously to my command, yet I think it is not entirely without compensating benefits. The Sixth Corps had already begun to move off to Grant and my movement brought it back, and Sheridan's forces are now so sbattered that he will not be able to send Grant any efficient aid for some time. I think he will be afraid to trust the Eighth and Nineteenth Corps.

The enemy's loss in killed and wounded was very heavy, and we took 1,300 prisoners, making, with some taken by Rosser, and others taken on the day of reconnaissance, over 1,500. My loss in killed and wounded was not more than 700 or soo, and I think very few prisoners were lost. A number of my men are still out, but they are coming in. Except for the loss of my artillery the enemy has far the worst of it. We secured some of the captured artillery, and our net loss is twentythree pieces. I still have twenty pieces besides the horse artillery. The enemy is not pursuing, and I will remain here and organize iny troops. Respectfully,

J. A. EARLY. General R. E. LEE,

Commanding Army of Northern Virginia.

ADDENDA.

Organization of the Confederate forces commanded by Lieut. Gen. Jubal

Å. Early, c. $. Army, at the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., October 19,

32d North Carolina,

Col. David 532 North Carolina,

1st North Carolina, Capt. William H.

Thomson. 2d North Carolina, 3d North Carolina, Capt. William H.

Composed of the fragmentary remains of fourteen of the regiments of Edward Johnson's division, most of which was captured by the enemy May 12, 1864.

KERSHAW'S DIVISION.

Maj. Gen. JOSEPH B. KERSHAW.
Conner's Brigade.

Wofford's Brigade

Maj. JAMES M. GOGGIN.

16th Georgia,

18th Georgia, 2d South Carolina, Maj. Benjamin R.

24th Georgia, Clyburn. *

3d Georgia Battalion, 3d South Carolina, Maj. Rutherford P.

Cobb’s (Georgia) Legion. Todd.* 7th South Carolina,

Phillips (Georgia) Legion, 8th South Carolina, 15th South Carolina,

Bryan's Brigade. 20th South Carolina, Col. Stephen M. Boykin.

Col. JAMES P. SIMMS. 3d South Carolina Battalion, Capt. B. M. Whitener.

10th Georgia, Col. Willis C. Holt. * Humphreys' Brigade:

50th Georgia, Col. Peter McGlashan.

51st Georgia, Col. Edward Ball.* Brig. Gen. BENJAMIN G. HUMPHREYS.

53d Georgia, 13th Mississippi, 17th Mississippi, 18th Mississippi, 21st Mississippi,

WHARTON'S DIVISION.

Brig. Gen. GABRIEL C. WHARTOX,
Wharton's Brigade.

Echols Brigade.

45th Virginia,

22d Virginia, 50th Virginia,

23d Virginia Battalion, 51 st Virginia,

26th Virginia Battalion, 30th Virginia Battalion Sharpshooters.

Smith's Brigade.

Col. THOMAS SMITH.
36th Virginia,
60th Virginia, Capt. Albert G. P. George.
45th Virginia Battalion, Capt. William B. Hensley.
Thomas Legion, Lieut. Col. James R. Love, jr.

CAVALRY.

LOMAX'S DIVISION.

Maj. Gen. LUNSFORD L. LOMAX.
Imboden's Brigade.

McCausland's Brigade.

ROSSER'S (FITZ LEE'S) DIVISION.

Maj. Gen. THOMAS L. ROSSER.
Wickham's Brigade.

Rosser's Brigade. 1st Virginia,

7th Virginia, 2d Virginia,

11th Virginia, 3d Virginia,

12th Virginia, 4th Virginia,

35th Virginia Battalion,
Payne's Brigade.
5th Virginia,
6th Virginia,
15th Virginia,

ARTILLERY.

Col. THOMAS H. CARTER.
Braxton's Battalion.

Carter's Battalion.
Virginia battery (Carpenter's).

Alabama battery (Reese's). Virginia battery (Hardwicke's).

Virginia battery (W. P. Carter's). Virginia battery (Cooper's).

Virginia battery (Pendleton's).

Virginia battery (Fry's).
Cutshaw's Battalion.

Nelson's Battalion.

Lieut. Col. WILLIAM Nelsox.
Virginia battery (Carrington's).
Virginia battery (Tanner's).

Georgia battery (Milledge's).
Virginia battery (Garbers).

Virginia battery (Kirkpatrick's).

Virginia battery (Massie's).
King's Battalion.

Horse Artillery.
Lieut. Col. J. FLOYD KING.

Marylanıl battery (Griffin's).
Virginia battery (Bryan's).

Virginia battery (Jackson's). Virginia battery (Chapman's).

Virginia battery (Lurty's).
Virginia battery (Lowry's).

Virginia battery (McClanahan's).
Virginia battery (Johnston's).
Virginia battery (Shoemaker's).
Virginia battery (Thomson's).

No. 174.

Journal of Capt. Jed. Hotchkiss, Topographical Engineer, Second Corps,

Army of Northern Virginia (Valley District), of operations August 4December 31.*

Thursday, August 4.-We started at sunrise and went to Shepherdstown via Leetown. Breckiuridge went the same way. Rodes and Ramseur went by Martinsburg to near Hainesville. Headquarters at Mrs. Balinger's. Pleasant.

Friday, August 5.–We crossed the river to Sharpsburg and had engagement with Cole's cavalry and drove them away, and then encamped near there. General Early and myself rode over part of the battlefield of Sharpsburg, and I sketched, by his order, the position of his brigade there. General Ransom accompanied us. Rodes and Ramseur encamped at Claggett's Mill. A warm day.

Saturday, August 6.-We marched to Tilghmanton and the crossroads beyond toward Hagerstown, and then went to Williamsport and