FIRST. Ordered that military commanders with- GENERAL: I have the honor to report that in the States of Virginia, North-Carolina, Geor- in obedience to your orders, I left Fredericksgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tex-burgh at four o'clock P.M., the twenty-second as and Arkansas, in an orderly manner seize and instant, with detachments of the Harris Light use any property, real or personal, which may be necessary or convenient for their several commands, for supplies, or for other military purposes; and that while property may be destroyed for proper military objects, none shall be destroyed in wantonness or malice.

A woman having informed me that a scouting party came along at seven A.M. daily to the church, I placed in ambush Capt. Allan M. Seymour with his company. He had just placed his men in position, when his alluring detail was suddenly attacked by nine or ten men, supported by some fifty others. Capt. Seymour immediately charged, forcing the advance back upon their supports. I went to his assistance with a small force, leaving Major Chapman and Davies to guard the crossroads at the church. The enemy was whipped and driven into the river. Lieutenant Kimball crossed and soon returned, reporting that the camp was in sight and the enemy in column of platoons in the road, with skirmishers covering several hundred yards in front.

I ordered up the reserve, and with Major Davies and Captain Walters reconnoitred the enemy. He occupied a good position on the brow of a hill sloping gently toward the river-level in rear and a fine position for a cavalry fight. I determined at once to attack him, leaving Captains Seymour, McIrvin and Grinton to guard the ford. I directed Major Davies to deploy the carbineers of the Harris Light cavalry as skirmishers on the right and left of the road in columns of platoons to charge. Major Davies advanced rapidly with his skirmishers, gaining ground to the right for the purpose of flanking the enemy and forcing his skirmishers back and beyond his column in the road. Major Chapman seeing that this column was about to retire, charged most gallantly, routing and pursuing him to within sight of Hanover Junction, nearly five miles.

company L, and Regimental Color-Sergeant Al-
fred Randolph, won praise from all by deeds of
daring done by each.

I have the honor to be your obed't servant,
JUDSON KILPATRICK,
Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding

A NATIONAL ACCOUNT.

FREDERICKSBURGH, July 24, 1802.

Immediately upon the heels of the brilliant dash upon Beaver Dam, and before the exuberance and congratulations have ceased, another affair, equally daring in its conception and surpassingly successful, has instilled enthusiasm into the ranks and opened the eyes of rebeldom to the new order of things. As our cavalry returned from Beaver Dam on Sunday evening, it will be remembered that the rebels followed them up to within a short distance of Fredericksburgh. Finding that they could not overtake us, they proceeded down towards the Bowling Green road, where they surprised a party of the Third Indiana cavalry, capturing a lieutenant and seven men. On Tuesday evening, at four o'clock, Lieut.-Col. Kilpatrick started out in pursuit of the enemy, believed to be lurking in our vicinity, with one hundred and eighty men of the Harris light cavalry, under Major Davies; one hundred and twenty of the Third Indiana, under Major Chapman; and companies B and E of the Brooklyn Fourteenth, under Capt. Mallory. Sixteen miles from Fredericksburgh, at the junction of the Bowling Green and Newmarket roads, the command bivouacked for the night, and at two o'clock next His camp was destroyed, tents and stores morning Col. Kilpatrick pushed on with the cav burned, also seven car loads of grain. Suddenly alry, leaving the infantry to guard the ford of the and almost unexpectedly a large force of cavalry Mattapony, and to act as a reserve in an emer(afterwards found to be Stuart's) came down on gency. Mount Carmel was reached at daylight. the right. I ordered up the reserve, and the ene- Here it was expected the rebels were encamped, my, though greatly outnumbering our tired and and preparations were made for surprising them, worn-out soldiers, was promptly met by Majors but no enemy could be found. Hearing that the Davies and Chapman, and forced back in great rebels passed along there every morning, Colonel confusion far beyond the range of Capt. Walters's Kilpatrick sent Capt. Seymour, with fifty men, to carbineers. Having accomplished all that could ambush them; but the party had proceeded but be done with safety, I at once recrossed the river a short distance before they suddenly came upon and took up a strong position near the church. the enemy. The command immediately charged The enemy did not have the boldness to follow.upon the rebels, who broke like sheep, and rushAt twelve м. we started for Fredericksburgh, and reached camp at eleven P.M. of the same day.

ing down to the North Anna River, abandoned horses, arms, clothing, and every thing, and During the long march, and the two skirmishes plunged pell mell into the stream. Following in the morning, the whole command, officers and them across, the pursuit was continued until Kilmen, conducted themselves most nobly. I would patrick came upon them, drawn up in the road in particularly mention Major Davies, who deserves columns of platoons, with dismounted men, armed great credit for the gallant and able manner in with rifles, deployed as skirmishers in the fields which he handled his skirmishers. He and his to the right and left. Although having an infe officers, Capt. Walters and Lieut. Plum, of com- rior force, Col. Kilpatrick determined to attack pany L, and Lieut. Kimball, of company F, were them. A number of men were deployed as skir constantly in the advance, and exposed to the mishers, and the column drawn up preparatory sharpest fire of the enemy. Major Chapman and to a charge. In the mean time Col. Kilpatrick, his whole command, who promptly obeyed each Major Davies, and Capt. Walters rode up towards order and charged most gallantly-braver and the enemy, only three hundred yards distant, and more eager men never met an enemy; Adjutant opened conversation, the rebels inquiring what Benjamin Gregory, who fearlessly and correctly he wanted, to which the Colonel replied: "What carried orders on the field, and his untiring exer- does it look like?" Returning to the column, the tions during the entire expeditions; Sergeants skirmishers, under Major Davies and Capt. WalMcCutchen, company F, Gribben and Harris, ters, commenced to advance. As yet not a shot

Doc. 157.

FIGHT AT TRINITY, ALABAMA.

COLONEL WALKER'S REPORT.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-FIRST OHIO VOLUNTEERS,
WINCHESTER, TENN., August 8.

}

had been fired. Presently the rifles and carbines This dash cannot fail to impress the rebels opened along the line, the enemy's balls whistling with the fact that the department of the Rappaover our skirmishers' heads, while now and then hannock is about to prove rather a troublesome a rebel reeled and fell before our deadly carbines. neighbor, and unless Stuart's men exercise more This continued several minutes, the cavalry main-courage their laurels will very soon have faded. taining their position in the road. One shot in- A portion of Ashby's old command was also in tended for Colonel Kilpatrick passed through a the fight, as we are informed by prisoners, and horse's head, killing him instantly, and striking when the rebel authorities learn the inferiority of the Colonel's left side, fell to the ground. On the our force, they may possibly reflect upon the skirmishers slowly but surely pressed, both sides probability of a Yankee being equal to at least jeering each other, each confident of victory. one rebel. Soon it became evident that the enemy must retire, and in a moment the rebel commander was heard to order: "By platoons, left about, wheel." Hardly had the rebels turned their horses' heads when Major Chapman and the Indiana boys were upon them, dismounting men, capsizing horses, and driving the enemy helter skelter towards their camp. In after them went our cavalry, hurrying them down towards Hanover Junction, Adjutant-General Charles W. Hill: where they retired behind reënforcements, when GENERAL: I beg leave to report that at about our men fell back to the abandoned camp. Here four o'clock on the afternoon of the twenty-fourth a portion of the cavalry fired a railroad train ult., Lieut. M. B. W. Harman, in command of loaded with grain, a number of wagons, tents, company E, Thirty-first O. V. I., with one platoon baggage, commissary and medical stores, and of his company, numbering twenty-five men, inother valuable property. While the handful of cluding non-commissioned officers, who were stamen were hastening the work of destruction, a tioned at a place called Trinity, near Decatur, large body of Stuart's cavalry appeared at a short Ala., for the purpose of guarding the Memphis distance. Had they charged they would have and Charleston Ralroad, were attacked by a force utterly annihilated our troops, as they outnum- of rebel cavalry, which numbered about three bered us three to one; but, halting a moment to hundred and fifty men. The attack was made reconnoitre, Col. Kilpatrick determined on a bold when Lieut. Harman and his little band were enstrike. Sounding the rally, his scattered men gaged in erecting a stockade-fort, and they were closed up behind the platoon which the Colonel without immediate possession of their arms, which had suddenly thrown across the road, while Major were stacked near at hand. At the first fire they Davies was sent with skirmishers to flank the sprang to their arms and commenced the most enemy. Stealing off to the right, Major Davies Spartan-like resistance which the history of this had succeeded in getting on their flank and al- war, so far, has furnished. At least twelve of the most on their rear before being discovered. Open- enemy were killed, and not less than thirty or ing a brisk fire upon their flank, the whole com- forty wounded, but the precise number of either mand wheeled and fled, followed by our cavalry, killed or wounded could not be ascertained, as the who, after chasing them down the railroad as far enemy was able to carry off his wounded and all as was deemed prudent, returned, first, however, but five of his dead. Lieut. Harman held his pobuilding a number of fires along upon the track.sition, fighting like a lion at bay, though he was The party then returned to camp, reaching Fredericksburgh last night at twelve o'clock, having marched seventy-four miles in twenty-four hours, routed a vastly superior rebel force, composed principally of Stuart's famous cavalry, destroyed several thousand dollars' worth of property, cut down the telegraph line, and captured a large number of horses, together with several prisoners. Majors Davies and Chapman and Capt. Walters did remarkably good service, and were highly complimented by Col. Kilpatrick. The cars have not yet commenced running on the Central Railroad, and this affair will be likely to hinder the repair of the road to a great extent. A Richmond paper, found in the rebel camp, stated that Gen. Stuart was building a bridge across the North Anna River, over which he intended, with two thousand men, to commit depredations in this direction. Col. Kilpatrick left word for Stuart that he need take no more trouble about the bridge, as we should give them all they could attend to on their own side.

VOL. V.-Doc. 36

badly wounded in the face, and painfully though not seriously in the left arm. His example inspired his men to emulate his conduct, and all but two of the twenty-six fought with desperate valor. Charles Cross was shot in the right iliac region, the ball passing upward and backward. He died immediately. Zachias Buckingham was struck by a large musket-ball, which entered at an inferior angle to the scapular, passing out between the second and third ribs, cutting the upper section of the right lobe of the lung. The wound is considered mortal. Walter Case was hit in the shoulder by a musket-ball. John F. Clason was wounded by a ball passing through the fore-arm. Wm. S. Bennett was shot in the neck. Wm. Herenden received three buckshot in the right arm, and a rifle-ball in the right thigh. F. Conklin was shot through the back of the head; James Maxwell in the right thigh; Lewis Rose, in the hand; J. Le Roux, through the arm; and L. Bard, through the back. Two other privates were wounded whose names I have not

learned. It is thought by the surgeons that all except Buckingham will recover.

You will see by this report that one half of this little band were killed and wounded. The work upon the fortifications had not advanced far enough to afford them any protection. They remained masters of the field until a late hour at night, when they were taken to Decatur.

nounce other instances of disgraceful neglect, and contrast them with another of gallantry.

The guard at Courtland Bridge, consisting of companies A and H, Tenth Kentucky, under the command of Capt. Davidson, and a part of Capt. Eggleston's company, First Ohio cavalry, was completely surprised and captured, with but trifling loss, on the morning of the twenty-fifth ult., by a force of irregular cavalry.

On the same day, the companies of Captains Boyle and Goben, Tenth Indiana, which were ordered to protect two bridges on the same road, respectively six and twelve miles east of Courtland, deemed it wiser to bring in an empty train which came up, than to defend their posts, threat

It is believed that the same force which attacked Lieut. Harman did much mischief along the railroad during the same day. Near Courtland, Ala., eighty of the Tenth Kentucky volunteers were taken prisoners, and two companies of the Tenth Indiana driven away, and in addition | to which bridges and trestlework all along the line between Courtland and Decatur were de-ened with an attack from the same irregular cavstroyed.

This report would have been finished sooner, but for the reason that we have been upon the march ever since the fight occurred.

Respectfully submitted,

M. B. WALKER,
Colonel Commanding Thirty-first O.V.I.

Doc. 158.

THE CONFISCATION ACT.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

A PROCLAMATION.

alry, and so put themselves on the train and arrived at Decatur, a few miles distant, without the loss or injury of a man.

On the same day and on the same road, eight miles from Decatur, a guard consisting of twentyfive men of company E, Thirty-first Ohio, under command of Lieut. Harman, were suddenly attacked by a greatly superior force of the same cavalry. They defended themselves gallantly, and repulsed the enemy, killing several of the number. Lieut. Harman and eleven of his men were wounded, himself in two places, and two of his men were killed.

In pursuance of the sixth section of the Act of The General submits these examples to the reCongress entitled, "An Act to suppress insurrec-flection of the troops. He reminds them that tion, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and neglect and bad conduct on the part of guards confiscate the property of rebels, and for other bring dishonor upon them, and may even jeopardpurposes," approved July seventeenth, 1862, and ize the safety of an army. If these appeals to which Act, and the joint resolution explanatory their personal and professional pride should fail thereof, are herewith published, I, ABRAHAM LIN- of their object, he warns them that the extreme COLN, President of the United States, do hereby penalty of the law must intervene to punish the proclaim to and warn all persons within the con- guilty, and save the army from the jeopardy in templation of said sixth section to cease partici- which they place it. pating in, aiding, countenancing, or abetting the existing rebellion, or any rebellion, against the Government of the United States, and to return to their proper allegiance to the United States, on pain of the forfeitures and seizures as within and by said sixth section provided.

The duty of guarding the communications of the army is among the most important with which an officer and his troops can be intrusted. Vigilance, determination, and the preparation of suitable defences, in the way of intrenchments or stockades, will prevent such attacks, or enable a small force to repel a greatly superior one. Had the orders for bridge-guards to fortify their posts been promptly executed, and proper vigilance been ob Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-served, the attacks referred to, if made at all, fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord would have had very different results. [L. S.] one thousand eight hundred and sixtytwo, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventh. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

This order and General Order No. 32 will be read at the head of every company and detach

ment.

By command of Major-General BUELL.
JAMES B. FRY,

J. M. WRIGHT, A. A.G.

Doc. 160.

Colonel and Chief of Staff.

It is but justice to the Ohio troops, to inform you that they were eager and ready for the fight. Two companies of the Cincinnati police took off their coats, and under their Chief, Col. Dudley, were anxious to meet the enemy. The detachment of Capt. Whittlesey's Cincinnati company deserve commendation for their gallantry, while the troops from Camp Dennison, under Captain Ayers, were prompt and efficient, and had opportunity offered, would have earned for themselves a creditable reputation.

the undersigned took the cars on the Central Ken- up our line of march, Brig.-Gen. Smith in comtucky Railroad, from the dépôt in Covington, with mand. Our advance continually drove in the about one hundred men for Cynthiana, Kentucky, rebel scouts, killing seven, and taking eight priat which place Lieut.-Col. Landrum, of the Eight-soners. Arriving at the entrance to Paris, our eenth Kentucky, was in command. Receiving column was halted. The centre, composed of the orders to move towards Paris, and distribute my Ohio troops and the artillery, was one mile from force at the different stations, to guard bridges, I the town. We were informed that an attack was proceeded to Paris, which place was reached at expected, and the men stood by their guns one two o'clock in the night. There were at this post hour and a half, when we learned to our chagrin detachments of companies, thirty-five from Capt. that Morgan had retreated towards Winchester. Whittlesey's camp, under the command of his Lieutenant, thirty men under command of Capt. Bugsby, of the Eighteenth Kentucky regiment, and the home guards of Paris, numbering sixtyseven men, infantry. There were also sixty men on horseback, under command of the Hon. Mr. Wadsworth, member of Congress from the Maysville district, making a total of forces in Paris, as reported to me, of two hundred and thirty-three men, rank and file. During the day, reënforcements to the number of sixty men, from Mt. Sterling, under Captain Evans, came in. These were After the retreat of the enemy, we encamped home guard cavalry. Brig.-Gen. Ward ordered for twenty-four hours. On the morning of the me to take command of this post. Upon assum- twentieth we were ordered to move, the rearing the command, I immediately proceeded to or- guard being assigned to my command. I found ganize the forces for service, and appointed the it impossible for the troops sent out with me to Hon. Mr. Wadsworth, with the rank of Major, to follow on to Winchester. I therefore left them the command of all the home guard cavalry. at Paris, under command of Captain Ayres, with Pursuant to orders, he took command of forty instructions to remain until further orders from men, and proceeded towards Lexington, on a me, after I had arrived at Winchester. Receivscouting expedition. At eleven o'clock P.M. Major ing orders from Gen. Smith to proceed to LexingWadsworth returned, and reported that John Mor- ton, I moved my command the next day, (the gan, with a force of from one thousand to one thou-twenty-first,) and reached Lexington at night. I sand two hundred men, was moving down the road rode over with Dr. Bush to Paris that night, and to Cynthiana. I immediately telegraphed Lieut.- found that the men left in charge of Capt. Ayres Col. Landrum, at Cynthiana, of Morgan's move-had gone to Cincinnati the morning previous. I ments, and his advance on that place. I also sent a message to Capt. Ayres, commanding the brigade guards, between Paris and Cynthiana, to join me with his forces at Paris. I also telegraphed to Gen. Ward, at Lexington, the position of affairs, and asked for reenforcements to hold Paris. He answered that I should send to him at Lexington all the men I could spare. Satisfied that I could not weaken my force, I did not send any men to Lexington. About seven o'clock in the evening, Lieut.-Col. Landrum reported the fall of Cynthiana. Upon consultation, it was deemed advisable to fall back on Lexington. We moved at eleven o'clock that night, and proceeded fourteen miles on the Lexington road. About daylight we had reached Col. Metcalf's advance post from Lexington, where he had encamped. Col. Metcalf was ordered to move forward with all his force, on Paris, and started about four o'clock. I was again detailed to take command of all the infantry and support the batteries. Thirty-five of my men were reported as unable to travel, and by my order were sent by the Surgeon to the Lexington hospital. We moved on towards Paris, and at dark encamped five miles from the town. During the night our pickets were driven in three different times; and as the infantry, with the artillery, held the advance, I found them all in line of battle at the word.

On the morning of the nineteenth we again took

returned to Lexington the same night, and found
Col. McCook with your orders. After instructing
the Lieutenant in charge of the sick at Lexington
to report to Col. McCook the condition of the men,
I obtained leave to return home, and arrived here
this morning. I have been thus particular in ex-
plaining to you how I became detached from my
particular command, which was entrusted to me
by your orders, and to do justice, as near as I
can, to the Ohio troops under my charge.
I am, General, your obedient servant,
J. V. GUTHRIE,
Commanding.

Doc. 161.

SKIRMISHES IN TEXAS COUNTY, MO.

MISSOURI "DEMOCRAT" ACCOUNT.

HOUSTON, TEXAS COUNTY, Mo., July 28, 1862. LAST Friday, a detachment of one hundred men from companies E and F, Third Missouri cavalry, and one half-section of light battery L, Second Missouri artillery, the whole under the command of Captain Bradway, marched from this place to attack the notorious Col. Coleman, who was said to be encamped at a place known as the Mountain Store, situated about twenty-five miles from here. When within five miles of the store, the advanceguard of the detachment came suddenly upon a