On the road a number of houses were searched, but nothing resulted from it. No enemy was found, nor were there any traces of any having been there during the last six months. Three colts, the property of Mr. Kline, were brought in, and in my opinion to obtain possession of the said colts was the only object Mr. Kline had in starting the expedition. To Captain Jones and Lieutenant Fowler, both of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, great praise is due for the manner in which they arranged and carried out the programme submitted by me upon reports based upon Kline's statement. I am, very respectfully, yours, Col. WILLIAM GAMBLE, GEO. R. MAGUIRE, Lieutenant and Provost-Marshal. Commanding First Separate Brigade. FEBRUARY 11, 1865.-Affair at Williamsburg, Va. Report of Lieut. Ira L. Dudley, Sixteenth New York Heavy Artillery. HDQRS. BATTERY L, SIXTEENTH NEW YORK VOL. ARTY., February 11, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to state that our picket-post at Williamsburg was surprised this morning about 3 o'clock by a party of rebel cavalry, numbering from twenty to twenty-five men, who advanced by the Richmond road. The vedette on the Richmond road challenged them, and, receiving no reply, attempted to discharge his carbine, but the cap snapped. He then retreated on the reserve, but was wounded in two places. The enemy then advanced as far as the reserve, evidently with the design of capturing the horses there stationed. I regret to state that they succeeded so far in their object, capturing 4 and killing 1. The following casualties occurred in the force stationed at the reserve: Private Hall, Company H, Twentieth New York Cavalry; Privates Belden and Dix, Company G, Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, and Private Libee, Company D, Sixteenth New York Volunteer Artillery, wounded; Private Cowan, Company D, Sixteenth New York Volunteer Artillery, missing; Private Gannon, Company D, Sixteenth New York Volunteer Artillery, killed; 3 horses, Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, captured; 1 horse, First New York Mounted Rifles, killed, and 1 captured. I have to state that, as soon as the alarm was brought into camp, Captain Bouvé, Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, and Lieut. David Earle, First New York Mounted Rifles, lost not a moment in turning out their respective commands. I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant, First Lieutenant Company L, Officer of the Day. Maj. JULIUS C. HICKS, [Indorsement.] The rebel cavalry were dressed in Union uniforms, and deceived our pickets at first by pretending to be our men; they were soon found out, and we opened fire upon them, and there were a number of them wounded, which they carried off with them I have strengthened the picket-lines, and sent a strong force to re-enforce the reserves. I will render a good account of them if they come again. All is quiet at present. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JULIUS C. HICKS, Major Sixteenth New York Volunteer Artillery, Comdg. Post. FEBRUARY 11-15, 1865.-Expedition from Bermuda Hundred to Fearnsville and Smithfield, Va. Report of Lieut. Col. Franklin A. Stratton, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry. HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, KAUTZ'S CAVALRY DIVISION, In the Field, Va., February 16, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations of the Second Brigade, Cavalry Division, while under your command during the late expedition: In obedience to your instructions, received through Lieutenant Benson, aide-de-camp, at Bermuda Hundred, I embarked my command at that place on the 11th instant, and proceeded to Fort Powhatan, where I disembarked and went into bivouac for the night. On the morning of the 12th I left Fort Powhatan for Burwell's Bay, where my instructions directed me to communicate with the gun-boats. My force consisted of 460 officers and men. I arrived at Burwell's Bay at sundown, and failing to find the gun-boats bivouacked for the night. I waited there until 10 o'clock the next morning, and was then about to proceed to the lower point of the bay to search for the expected boats, when I received your orders, through Lieutenant Benson, dated the 12th, directing me to proceed to Fearnsville and thence to Smithfield. I immediately started on the route indicated. At Fearnsville I found no indications of the enemy. There were no pickets on the Blackwater River in that vicinity. I marched thence to Smithfield, where I arrived about an hour after dark. The inhabitants reported to me that you had been there but had left some hours previous. The late hour at which I received your order at Burwell's Bay rendered it impracticable to reach Smithfield sooner than the time mentioned. On the 14th I marched to near Cabin Point; on the 15th to Fort Powhatan, and thence, in obedience to further instructions received from you, via Point of Rocks, to the camp of the Cavalry Division, where I arrived at midnight, having been five days out. During the entire expedition nothing was seen of the enemy, excepting a few men who were observed at a distance by the rear guard on two or three occasions. I am satisfied that no body of the enemy had crossed the Blackwater up to the 14th instant. Careful observations of the roads and inquiry among the negroes failed to discover the least evidence of any rebel force, except what is called the signal corps. This consists of about thirty men scattered along the James from Burwell's Bay to Smithfield, for the purpose of watching the river. They were reported to have left early on the morning of the 14th for the right bank of the Blackwater. I was unable to capture any of them. One wagon employed by a rebel commissary in collecting supplies for the rebel army was captured, on the 13th, near Fearnsville. I brought in no prisoners. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, FRANKLIN A. STRATTON, Lieut. Col. Eleventh Pennsylvania Cav., Comdg. Cav. Expedition. Brig. Gen. CHARLES K. GRAHAM, Commanding Naval Brigade. FEBRUARY 13-17, 1865.-Expedition from Camp Russell (near Winchester) to Edenburg and Little Fort Valley, Va., and skirmishes. Report of Lieut. Col. George R. Maxwell, First Michigan Cavalry. HDQRS. FIRST MICHIGAN VETERAN VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, Camp Russell, Va., February 19, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to report that, in compliance with instructions received from cavalry headquarters, I started on the evening of the 13th instant, with 300 men of the First Brigade, First Division; marched to Strasburg, rested an hour and fed my horses; started at about 11.30 p. m., and pushed on to Edenburg, meeting with no opposition until arriving at that place, where the enemy's pickets were encountered; strenuous efforts were made for their capture; none were captured, owing to the horses of my command being too weary to compete with the fresh horses of the enemy. Sent 100 men to destroy an iron furnace in Little Fort Valley. Held Edenburg till 8 a. m. the 16th, with slight skirmishing. At 11 a. m. started to return. As the column got well under way the rear guard was charged by about fifty men of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, of McCausland's command, the enemy being repulsed with loss; a constant skirmish was kept up upon my rear guard until we [sic] to Woodstock, when the enemy charged between the rear guard and the column. The rear guard charged through, supported by a part of the column charging back to relieve them. The enemy suf fered severely in this encounter, as they could not compete with our superior carbine. I halted my column, sent a part across Tom's Brook, and with 100 men of the First Michigan charged them and drove them back within one mile and a half of Edenburg, then returned to Cedar Creek unmolested save by a few partisans near Strasburg. At Cedar Creek communicated with the party sent to destroy the furnace, and learned they had successfully accomplished their task. The furnace was in almost working order, ore was being taken out, and machinery repaired. This party captured ten men-five soldiers and five detailed It appears that the picket-line of the enemy at Edenburg has no effective support nearer than Staunton. Prisoners report that General Rosser is at Luray, organizing cavalry. In passing over the ground where the enemy attempted to capture my rear guard, it was ascertained they had three men killed and a number wounded. I had one man mortally wounded. My command arrived in camp at 3 a. m. 17th instant, having carried out successfully the task assigned me. The results of the expedition may be summed up as follows: The iron furnace in Little Fort Valley entirely destroyed; three of the enemy killed and a number wounded; ten men captured; twenty horses captured; with a loss on my part of one man mortally wounded. The horses captured were taken to cavalry headquarters by the scouts. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. R. MAXWELL, Lieutenant-Colonel First Michigan Cavalry. Maj. WILLIAM RUSSELL, Jr., Assistant Adjutant-General, Cavalry, Middle Military Division. FEBRUARY 15-16, 1865.-Scout from Fairfax Court-House to Aldie and Middleburg, Va. REPORTS. No. 1.-Col. William Gamble, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, commanding First Separate Brigade, Department of Washington. No. 2.-Capt. George W. Corbit, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. No. 1. Report of Col. William Gamble, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, commanding First Separate Brigade, Department of Washington. HEADQUARTERS FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE, Fairfax Court-House, Va., February 16, 1865-2 p. m. COLONEL: The squadron of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry sent out on a scout to the vicinity of Aldie last night has just returned. Eleven rebel cavalry, with horses and equipments, were captured and brought in, without the loss of a man or horse on our part. A written report of the scout, by Captain Corbit, the officer in charge, will be forwarded to-morrow. Respectfully, Lieut. Col. J. H. TAYLOR, W. GAMBLE, Colonel, Commanding Brigade. Chief of Staff, Department of Washington. No. 2. Report of Capt. George W. Corbit, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. HEADQUARTERS FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE, Fairfax Court-House, Va., February 21, 1865. COLONEL: I have the honor to report that my command captured 8 prisoners, 3 of whom were officers-1 colonel, 1 captain and 1 lieutenant; 10 horses, 7 saddles, 7 revolvers. I have one man missing. About sixty of the enemy followed me as far as Aldie, my rear guard skirmishing with them from Middleburg to that place. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. W. CORBIT, Captain Company B, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, Comdg. Scout. [Col. WILLIAM GAMBLE.] FEBRUARY 18-19, 1865.-Expedition from Camp Averell (near Winchester) into Loudoun County, Va., and skirmish (18th) at Ashby's Gap. REPORTS. No. 1.-Bvt. Brig. Gen. William B. Tibbits, Twenty-first New York Cavalry, commanding Second Cavalry Division, Middle Military Division. No. 2.-Maj. Thomas Gibson, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding expedition. No. 3.-Capt. Henry E. Snow, Twenty-first New York Cavalry. No. 1. Report of Bot. Brig. Gen. William B. Tibbits, Twenty-first New York Cavalry, commanding Second Cavalry Division, Middle Military Division. HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION, February 20, 1865. I have the honor to forward report of Maj. Thomas Gibson, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding officer of the expedition that left these headquarters on the evening of the 18th instant. For your information I would state that my orders to him were to take command of the party (which was to consist of 200 men), to proceed with it as far as Upperville if possible, searching houses and other places on the route for rebels of Mosby's command, to be designated (the houses) by the two deserters from Mosby who would go with him; to commence his retrograde movement by 2 a. m. or 3 a. m. of the 19th instant at the latest; that he was to obey no orders that might be given him by other officers of the party; that Lieut. Stephen H. Draper, Twenty-first New York Cavalry, was ordered by me to.command the scouts, and he would see that he received such assistance as he required to properly perform his duty; also that Lieutenant Draper would show him the best ford to cross and roads to take. The number of officers with the party from this division was seven, viz, a major, captain, and two lieutenants from the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and a captain and two lieutenants from the Twenty-first New York Cavalry. The command before starting was inspected, by my orders, by Capt. James S. Graham, acting assistant inspector-general, First Brigade. He informs me that he discarded about forty men. the number of men armed with revolvers he can't inform me. I intended that the men should carry the saber, but Major Bailey and Captain Martindale (who brought the order from your headquarters that the expedition should be made) and Lieutenant Draper informed me that it was very essential that they should not be so armed, as they wanted to move as noiselessly as possible. As to A few men have returned since Major Gibson's report was made out, and I think that at least half of those now missing will get in. One party of sixteen, under a sergeant, was moving toward Harper's Ferry, so a private soldier informs me, who states that he left them about daylight this morning. I would respectfully state that in my opinion the affair should be investigated. I also inclose Captain Snow's report. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. WILLIAM RUSSELL, Jr., WILLIAM B. TIBBITS,. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division. |