right. By this time we had three killed and twenty-two wounded. With the wounded to care for, we considered it politic to make a hasty move for Hutchinson. The savages followed at a respectful distance for five miles, but we scarcely replied to their fire, which did us no harm. From information received from various sources, we have ascertained that from two to three hundred Indians fought us in the engagement, and that we killed about twelve and wounded more than thirty of their number. When we arrived at Hutchinson we received such kind treatment for our wounded as has endeared the hearts of our company to the citizens of that place. We there passed a wakeful night, knowing that the savages were around us. The next morning about nine o'clock they attacked the town from the woods and burnt nearly half of it. We engaged them about twenty minutes, when we went into the fortification which Capt. Harrington had built. We then sent out squads to keep them back from firing the other buildings. We received no injuries from them that day, and though we have had some little hunting after Indians since, we have had no casualties or incidents of importance. After remaining a few days at Hutchinson the home volunteers were discharged, a parting which I shall never forget. They had endeared themselves to every one of our company, and participated, together with a part of our company, in one of the severest battles of the Indian campaign. In justice to these brave men, who composed quite half of our company, I think it proper to give their names in this connection:

Saturday morning, about nine o'clock, General McClellan's advance, comprising several regiments of cavalry and the Second artillery, battery M, all under command of General Pleasanton, broke camp at Purcellsville, and began the onward march. Our road lay through a most beautiful section of country. The road winds through picturesque forests, over hill and through dale, now over a pure and limpid brook which flows down from the mountain, now by some more picturesque stream which meanders through the meadow. The famous "Snicker's Gap" at which the enemy are collected in large numbers, can be seen a short distance to the right. The insignificant village of Snickersville is clustered around the base of the ridge, while the tortuous road, as it winds through the gap, is plainly visible. Still the scouts ahead report no enemy, and we press forward, reaching Philomont at half-past eleven o'clock. This is a small secesh village of some one hundred and fifty inhabitants, situated on the Winchester and Alexandria road, about five miles from Snicker's Gap.

Just before entering the town we halted, while the skirmishers went forward, ascertaining that some fifty of the enemy's cavalry had been there this morning, but had suddenly disappeared. On entering, pickets were thrown out on all the roads leading from the village. The town was in a terrible scare. On entering one house I found a girl of seven years old with her head under the bedclothes, while the mother was nursing a brother of full five years of age in order to keep him quiet. Lieutenant Krin, of General Pleasanton's staff, who was appointed Provost-Marshal of the village, immediately arrested all the male citizens of the place and assembled them in front of one of the stores preparatory to taking the oath.

NEW-YORK

TIMES" ACCOUNT.

ONE MILE FROM UNIONTOWN, VA.,
AND TWENTY-SIX FROM THE POTOMAC,
Monday, 8 o'clock A.M., Nov. 8, 1862.

ANOTHER Sunday fight, and another victory for the National army! All day yesterday the booming of artillery resounded through this picturesque and hitherto quiet region, and the clashing arms indicated that loyalist and traitor had met in conflict.

command of Major Keenan, which had been thrown out on picket in the direction of Union, three miles away. General Pleasanton, who was at the right of the village, immediately hastened to the front, taking with him two pieces of the horse battery, of which there are only four in the service. The enemy continued firing, and advancing their artillery from one position to another until one gun suddenly opened very near to the village. "Can't we reach that?" remarked one of his officers to Gen. Pleasanton. "Reach it? I guess I can," replied the General, and in less than a moment's time one of the pieces was unlimbered, and a shell tossed in the direction of the rebels.

Another, and still another followed. But they all fell short, one setting fire to a meadow, which was soon burned over. By this time the cavalry on both sides had dismounted, and the sharp, quick report of their carbines indicated that a spirited engagement was taking place. The gallant Major Keenan (whose horse had been shot and exchanged for another,) seeing that the enemy were pressing on him in large numbers, sent for reenforcements, when the entire regiment (Eighth Pennsylvania) were sent to his support. The rebels were now plainly visible scouring through the distant woods and fields, evidently determined on disputing our advance to Union, which General Pleasanton had been ordered to occupy at all hazards, and the possession of which was necessary to the successful carrying out of General McClellan's programme. About half-past two our cavalry began to fall back, owing to the superiority of the enemy, and a courier was sent to the Sixth regulars, Captain Sanders, which was stationed three miles back on the road, ordering them to come up on the gallop, which they did. Reenforcements consisting of a battery and Doubleday's old brigade of infantry were also hurried forward from Burnside's encampment at Purcellsville, whither he had moved up his forces in the course of the day.

As our men fell back, the rebel cavalry followed until within range of our guns, when they were brought to a halt by the most splendid artillery firing of the war. The rebels soon got their guns into a position commanding our own, but in five minutes' time it became too hot for them. They changed to another position, but were in less time driven from that. Finally they galloped over a meadow, our shells thickly flying after them, and planting their guns directly in front of the grove, one mile and a half distant. They had hardly fired a shell, however, before our Rodman tenpounders so ploughed the ground around them as to cause a skedaddle out of sight.

This ended the artillery firing for that day, having proved for the twentieth time the superiority of our artillery over that of the rebels. About half-past three o'clock all became quiet, and we supposed the contest had ended for the day. About five o'clock, however, the skirmishing was renewed in an orchard on the right, between the dismounted cavalrymen, and continued until dusk, the Sixth regulars in the mean time having come.

During the night the infantry and artillery from Purcellsville arrived. In the morning it was found that the enemy had advanced their pickets to a considerable distance on the right. At precisely ten o'clock our artillery opened upon them and the infantry were thrown forward. The firing was, on the day previous, most accurate. One caisson was blown fully fifteen feet into the air, causing the rebels around the gun to retreat in double-quick. Such accurate shooting the rebels could not stand, and they accordingly commenced falling back; we, at the same time, following up and peppering them in fine style.

Thus we continued to drive them from hill to valley for several hours, their artillerists being compelled to abandon every new position as often as it was chosen. Several prisoners were taken, among the number two who rode directly into one of our own regiments, mistaking it for Col. Owen's Third Virginia cavalry. I conversed with prisoners from the Third, Fourth and Fifth Virginia cavalry, proving that we had been fighting General Stuart's force. From them as well as refugees, I learned that he had been on the ground all day; also that the bulk of the rebel army is on this side of the Blue Ridge, retreating toward Gordonsville. A detachment of the Eighth NewYork cavalry captured some eight horses, with equipments, and quite an amount of officers' clothing. An ambulance driver of the same regiment was accidentally killed.

Doc. 22.

THE GEORGIA STATE DEFENCES.
ADDRESSES TO THE PLANTERS.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, MILLedgeville, Nov. 1, 1862.

To the Planters of Georgia :

SINCE my last appeal to some of you, I am informed by Brig.-General Mercer, commanding at Savannah, that but few hands have been tendered. When the impressments made by General Mercer, some weeks since, were loudly complained of, it was generally said that, while the planters objected to the principle of impressment, they would promptly furnish all the labor needed, if an appeal were made to them. I am informed that General Mercer now has ample authority to make impressments. If, then, a sufficient supply of labor is not tendered within ten days from this date, he will resort immediately to that means of procuring it, with my full sanction, and, I doubt not, with the sanction of the General Assembly.

After you have been repeatedly notified of the absolute necessity for more labor, to complete the fortifications adjudged by the military authorities in command to be indispensable to the defence of the key to the State, will you delay action until you are compelled to contribute means for the protection not only of all your slaves, but of your homes, your firesides, and your altars?

Doc. 23.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DEPARTMENT OF Georgia,
SAVANNAH, GA., Nov. 8, 1862.

To the Planters of Georgia:

I have received from several counties of the State of Georgia, and from individual slavehold ers, requests and demands that I should return their negroes, now working upon the fortifications of Savannah. It is my sincere and earnest desire to do so. I think it an injustice to those who have sent their negroes at my first call, that they should be compelled to bear the whole burden and heat of the day, while others, who are among the wealthiest in the land, look calmly on the danger of the city and the State, without contributing a single laborer from their hundreds or their thousands to their defence.

Fellow-citizens, with whom ought the blame to rest? Not with those who have contributed their labor, for they have nobly done their duty. Not with me, for I am simply doing that which is absolutely necessary to the protection of the State from invasion, and from the designs of the abolitionists.

Let the blame fall where it is justly due; on those who have refused to send labor to the defence of Savannah, and who still refuse to take their turn in the work; who, after enjoying immunity for so long a time, still refuse to relieve those who have been laboring for them.

COLONEL DEWEY'S OFFICIAL REPORT. HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEERS, CAMP PATTERSON, Mo., Nov. 2, 1862.

COLONEL In accordance with your order of the twenty-fourth ult., I left Camp Patterson at six o'clock on the evening of Saturday, the twenty-fifth, with three companies of my regi ment, (Thirty-second Iowa volunteers,) under command of Lieut.-Colonel Kinsman, five companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri volunteers, under Capt. O. P. Newbury, two companies of the First Missouri State militia, and a section of Strang's battery, under Major Jainsch, and eighteen men of the Twelfth Missouri volunteer cavalry, under Capt. Leper. At Morrison's, twelve miles from this place, I was joined by three companies of the Twenty-fourth Missouri volunteers, under Capt. Vaughn. My instructions were to march for Pittman's Ferry, on Current River, which place I was to reach by three o'clock P.M. on Sunday, twenty-sixth, and form a junction with Lieut.-Col. Lazare, and attack any rebel force at that point. You informed me that Col. Lazare had orders to meet me there at that time, and cooperate with me. The first day I marched twenty-six miles to Black River, which I reached at four o'clock P.M. I found the stream wide and deep, and the crossing difficult, but I was determined to get the infantry and baggage-train over that night. I placed the transportation of the troops in charge of Capt. O. P. Newbury, of the Twenty-fifth Missouri, with orders to cross at all hazards. After an immense amount of labor, the untiring energy of the Captain was successful, and at eleven o'clock at night he reported all safely over, except the artillery and one company of the First Missouri State militia, left to guard it. The next morning at daylight, Capt. Newbury commenced crossing the artillery. The ammunition was shifted from the caissons, and

From the thousands of slaves who have thus been withheld from the defence of the country, enough, and more than enough, might easily be contributed to enable me to send back to their masters all those who have already worked here for three (3) months, and at the same time would give me a sufficient force to complete the defence of our chief city and coast.

Patriots! will you allow the selfish and the unpatriotic to reap all the benefits of our war of independence, without sharing with you its burdens, its sacrifices, and privations?

As soon as those who have not hitherto contributed send me a sufficient number to fill their places, I pledge myself to send back to their masters the negroes who are now at work. Until this is done, necessity compels me to retain them. HUGH W. MERCER,

Brigadier-General Commanding.

crossed safely. I commenced the march from Black River at eight o'clock A. M., Sunday, twentysixth, and reached Vandever's after a march of twenty miles. One mile this side of Vanderer's my advanced guard of cavalry, under Captain Leper, drove in the enemy's pickets, all of whom unfortunately escaped, and thus betrayed my advance.

I now was seventeen miles from Pittman's Ferry, and it was important to make a rapid march, and gain possession of the boat. I ac cordingly detailed Lieut. Buzzard, of the Twentyfifth Missouri, with forty picked men, to move rapidly forward with the cavalry and gain pos session of the ferry. They started at ten o'clock in the morning of the twenty-seventh, and at two I followed with the reserve body. The men marched without breakfast. Ten miles this side the ferry the advance-guard surprised a scouting. party of the enemy, and captured a captain and thirteen men. Leaving these prisoners under

men.

guard, they pushed rapidly forward, and succeeded in surprising the guard at the ferry, which they dispersed by a volley from Lieut. Buzzard's Private Richard Lloyd, company F, of the Twenty-fifth Missouri, swam the river, and brought the boat over to this side. When about two miles from the river, at eight o'clock in the morning, I received information that the great object of my anxiety, the ferry-boat, was safe in our possession. When a mile from the river, a messenger brought me word that the enemy was forming line of battle on the other side. I immediately ordered the artillery forward at a gallop; the infantry, regardless of their long and fatiguing march, following at a double-quick. I halted the column about one hundred yards from the river-bank, and formed line of battle on each side of the river. The right wing, consisting of the Twenty-third Iowa, under Lieut.-Col. Kinsman; the centre, consisting of the artillery and two companies of the First Missouri State militia, under Major Jainsch; and the left, consisting of the five companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri volunteers, under Capt. Newbury. The two companies of the Twenty-fourth Missouri acted as a reserve and guard to the prisoners, under Capt. Vaughn. Riding forward to the front, Lieut. Posar, commanding the artillery, informed me that the enemy were planting a battery on the other side. I ordered him to open upon them immediately, which he promptly did, and after a few rounds the enemy scattered and disappeared.

I then ordered Lieut. Miller, of the Twentyfifth Missouri, to cross the river with his company and deploy as skirmishers and follow the enemy as far as practicable, and to guard his retreat I ordered Captain Houston, of company A, Twenty-third Iowa, to form his company on the river bank, near the ferry, leaving the rest of the command in line of battle. At twelve o'clock Lieut. Miller returned and reported the enemy retreating. I had been for several hours anxious to learn the whereabouts of Col. Lazare and his command. Every thing depended upon his cooperating with me. I knew that with my small force of infantry, exhausted by a long and fatiguing march, and without food since the previous night, it was folly for me to attempt a pursuit. Lazare's route to join me led him directly across the road by which the enemy had retreated, and I waited in deep suspense for some intelligence from him or for some evidence of his presence. At noon I sent Leper over the river with his eighteen men to scour the country and try to gain intelligence of Lazare. After a fruitless search he returned without any tidings, and I reluctantly ordered the men to camp. They had performed a forced march of sixty-five miles, and had been twenty hours without food without murmuring. They were still ready to go forward if there was any prospect of overtaking the enemy, but without Lazare's cavalry pursuit would be useless. I had hoped that the sound of the cannonading would reach him and convey to him tidings of my presence, but it did not.

The next morning, twenty-eighth October, I sent Captain Houston, with his company, up the river, and Captain Rosenstein with his company down, both on this side, to explore the country and ascertain the position and practicability of the various fords. I also sent Capt. Leper, with such infantry as I could mount, over the river to explore the different roads leading to the ferry, with instructions to find Lazare, if possible. About eleven o'clock I received a despatch from Colonel Lazare directed to you, of which the following is a copy:

OCTOBER 26, 4 o'clock A.M. COLONEL BOYD: Yours of the seven and ten o'clock, twenty-fourth, reached me at ten last night. I cannot reach Pittman's Ferry and find out what is at Thomasville before twenty-ninth. Will be there. We scattered Boone's men in every direction yesterday, killing six or eight, eighteen prisoners, twenty-five guns and twelve horses. They are all come up but Crow's company, who has gone east of Current River.

B. LAZARE,

Lieut.-Colonel Commanding.

I immediately recalled the scouting-parties, and crossed my command, with the exception of the artillery and Capt. Vaughn's men, over the river. Late in the evening, I received another despatch from Lazare, by Lieut. Going, informing me verbally, that he was marching from the direction of Thomasville, on the Pocahontas road, and would be ready to cooperate with me at any time after midnight. This road leads directly across the road to Yellville, by which the enemy retreated, and they had already passed the point of intersection at least thirty-six hours before. Of course, pursuit was now useless, and I directed Lieut. Going to rejoin Col. Lazare with orders to join me, as soon as possible, on the Pocahontas road. On the morning of the twenty-ninth, I crossed the artillery over the river, and leaving Captain Vaughn to guard the ferry and the prisoners, I marched toward Pocahontas and formed a junction with Col. Lazare, at Bolingers's Mill, fifteen miles from the ferry. I immediately ordered a detachment of fifty cavalry, under Major Lippert, to march to Pocahontas and search for horses and contraband goods.

Major Jainsch accompanied the detachment. They dispersed a small scouting-party, taking eight or ten horses, and found a number of rebel sick in a hospital, whom Major Jainsch paroled, and a list of whom accompanies this report.

The next morning, October thirtieth, I commenced my march back to Patterson, which point I reached at six o'clock P.M., November second.

Too much praise cannot be awarded to the officers and men under my command in this expedition. They performed a march of sixty-five miles to Pittman's Ferry - the first day, through a severe storm-in less than two days and a half, crossing a wide and deep stream. The last twenty hours, they were on the march or in line of battle without food. On their return they performed a march of eighty miles in four days, crossing two wide and deep streams.