ing the Huntersville road, while it was supposed small allowance of hay for our horses. that Echols was in the direction of the White Sulphur and Rocky Gap. With the detachment and train on the other side of the river, our General, who had shared all our privations, and by his skill had brought us through so many dangers, felt his responsibility, and was greatly dis-ers and bacon began to float in our imaginations, turbed; but if he could have heard the kind words of sympathy that fell from the lips of those tired, rugged veterans, he would have felt refreshed and encouraged, but he was equal to this emergency also. Although it was thought that we were surrounded by six rebel columns, yet there was one road open; he sent an order to Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson to burn the bridges, and, if the rebels changed position, for the rearguard to swim the river; this was done, and a Union lady pointed out a ford by which they crossed.

Here commences the reign of Major-Generals and military science. Major-General Tubal A. Early came; Major-General Fitz-Hugh Lee came; Brigadier-General Walker came; Brigadier-General Thomas came; their staffs came. They all took a drink. General Early took two. Brigadier-General Wickham came; Colonel Chambliss, commanding a brigade, came. They smiled also.

and cut the column in two if possible. At four the Shenandoah Mountains, through Covington o'clock on Saturday evening, the nineteenth in- to Salem, burnt things generally, and returned stant, a courier from Captain Sprague announced over nearly the same route. Imboden seized the the approach of the enemy by that road, and that gap where the Parkersburgh turnpike crosses he had commenced a skirmish with Averill's ad- the Shenandoah, and prevented a raid on Staunvanced forces. Jackson immediately ordered an ton. Averill left five hundred men to hold Imadvance of the Twentieth Virginia regiment by boden there, and pushed on toward Salem. a blind road, so as to attack the enemy obliquely. That General could not pursue without uncovHe also ordered the Nineteenth Virginia regi-ering Staunton, the force threatening nearly ment to advance on the Covington turnpike road, equalling his own. General Lee was informed and to attack the enemy directly. At that point of the situation of affairs. Jackson conceived the idea of taking a detachment of about fifty men, and move forward with them for the purpose of striking the enemy vigorously and cutting his column in two. In this Jackson succeeded perfectly. One half of the Yankees were thus separated from the other half, which was under the immediate command of Averill, and who rapidly passed forward toward the Island Ford bridge. Persons intrusted with the burning of the Island Ford bridge failed to do so, however, owing to the rapid advance of the enemy upon that point. The advance, under Averill in person, thus managed to make their escape across the bridge; but that portion of his command which had been cut off-consisting of one regiment and an entire wagon train-were held in check by Jackson's detachment of fifty men during the entire night. Soon after sunrise on Sunday, the twentieth, the heavy force which Averill had left at the bridge after he had crossed, to prevent Jackson from burning it, themselves fired it, and in a short time it fell into the river; and this produced much consternation among the Yankees who had been cut off from the bridge by the detachment under Jackson. Had Jackson's order to attack the Yankees furiously not been so tardily obeyed, the whole force which had been cut off, together with the entire wagon train, would have been captured. By failing, however, thus to attack, the Yankees had time to burn their train and to escape by swimming; in doing so, however, many of them were drowned.

Still,

When Averill was opposite Staunton, Fitz Lee was at Fry Dépôt, on the Virginia Central Railroad, a day's march from that town—a fortunate occurrence, indeed. Every body thought Averill was "treed" now. Lee was ordered across the Blue Ridge. He passed through Brown's Gap, and struck the valley turnpike at Mount Crawford, eight miles above Harrisonburgh—a miserable mistake; one day's march lost. He then marched toward Staunton; another day gone for nothing. He finally reached Staunton, where he ought to have been the first night. there was plenty of time to cut Averill off. Lee and Imboden marched day and night to Lexington, and then toward Covington. They had yet time enough to intercept him. Here was committed the fatal and foolish blunder. While Lee and Imboden were on the road to Covington, in striking distance of that place, word was sent that the Yankees were marching toward Buchanan instead of Covington. No man ought to have put credence in a statement so utterly absurd as that the enemy was going from Salem to that place. Such a statement presupposes Averill deliberately placing himself past escape, and, therefore, run raving mad. Such improbable rumors should never be entertained a moment, much less made the basis of important military movements. The order was obeyed. The troops turned and marched back, and at night were neither at Buchanan nor Covington.

The result of Jackson's operations was the complete capture of the Yankee ambulance train, about two hundred prisoners, their horses and equipments, a number of carbines and revolvers, forty or fifty negroes, (whom the Yankees were taking off,) eight of Averill's officers, including his adjutant-general, a lieutenant-colonel, Averill's The story is told in a few words. horse, his servant, and a number of his maps of kees passed through Covington, and, to their fifteen or twenty counties, in which nearly every great amazement, escaped. The rumor about house was put down, and, in numerous instances, Buchanan was the tale of some frightened fool. the occupants of the houses given. Jackson also The enemy, in terror and demoralization, fled captured a number of mules and wagons. Jack-from Salem at full speed, destroying their train son's loss was small.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

To the Editor of the Richmond Examiner:
The raid is over. Averill has gone, not "up
the spout," but back into his den. Cast your
eye upon a map, and I'll tell you how he went
and how he came. He came from New-Creek, a
dépôt on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in
the county of Hardy, along the eastern base of

The Yan

and artillery. Jackson knocked some in the head; the citizens beat the brains out of others. One farmer in Alleghany killed six. Some are scattered in the mountains, and are being picked up here and there. The rapid streams drowned many, but the main part have gone whence they came, wondering how they did get away. It is hardly necessary to add, the humblest private in the ranks, if he possessed sense enough to eat and drink, not only could but would have man

beat up by their officers with their swords-the EXPEDITION TO CHARLES CITY COURT

ed by Colonel B. F. Onderdonk, and the infantry, which acted as a reserve this side the Chickahominy, by Colonel Roberts.

camp and garrison equipage.

The rebels were holding the usual Sunday morning inspection in their best clothes, in camp, and made slight resistance, being either entirely | surprised or not wishing to injure the few good clothes in their possession.

At the Court-House the rebels made a brief but spirited resistance. They were driven into two wooden buildings, and fired several volleys from the windows, at very short-range. We surrounded the houses, and compelled a surrender, which was formally made by the enemy, after exhibiting a white flag. Sergeant Wood, a brave and faithful non-commissioned officer, was killed in the first assault upon the building. Captain Gregory was severely, but not dangerously, wounded in the thigh. Our entire loss during the expedition was two killed and five wounded.

City Court-House, we caught a sight of the rebel camp, and with a loud cheer we commenced the charge. The charge was led by the field-officers The infantry preceded the cavalry twelve of the regiment, with Colonel Onderdonk and hours. The Mounted Rifles quitted Williams- Colonel West. It was irresistible. In less than burgh at six o'clock on the evening of the elev- fifteen minutes we captured ninety prisoners, inenth instant, under lowering clouds, and an at- cluding eight commissioned officers, nearly one mosphere that presaged storm. We made a hundred and fifty stand of arms, over fifty horses, brief halt at Twelve-Mile Ordinary. After leav-and a large quantity of forage, commissary stores, ing this point, our route lay through dense forests of pine and dreary patches of cleared but uncultivated land. As night and the column advanced, the darkness became terrible, the wind fairly roared through the tall trees, and the rain, so long threatening, fell in torrents. We had two trusty white guides, but you may imagine how serviceable they were, when we could not distinguish a horseman at the distance of three yards, unless, perhaps, he was mounted on a white steed. Still, the regiment moved forward for many miles, keeping closed files, and carefully following the sound of clanking sabres; until, finally, the road, which before had seemed to be in a highly tangled condition, formed a knot like the Gordian puzzle. Here, apparently, fate had a choice bivouac in store for us but not so Colonel West. The guides lit matches, which blazed for a moment, (just long enough to exhibit our forlorn prospects,) and were then quenched by the rain. Still, we were making a few yards, or rather "taking ground to the right." The guide covered his hands with the phosphorus of the matches, and held them up. This did not remind one forcibly of a revolving coast-light, but we persevered. Many of the men lost their way through the woods, two or three officers were missing, but fortunately all regained the column. We pushed on in this manner until about three o'clock, when it being perfectly impossible to proceed another foot, on account of the blackness of all surrounding objects, and the awful condition of the road, (when we found it,) we were compelled to sit patiently in our saddles until daylight, drenched to the skin, and ruminating upon the beautiful moral relation which the soldier sustains toward a grateful country.

At daylight we moved on rapidly, and made up for lost time. We came up with the infantry, and halted a mile this side of the Chickahominy River. They had surprised and captured a small rebel picket. We soon came in sight of the river at Ford's Crossing, and away we went on the gallop. The first rebel picket was discovered on the west bank of the river. They were in a tranquil state of existence, having divested themselves of their superfluous clothing, and "lain down to quiet dreams." They were sound asleep. The very doorkeepers of the great and invincible city of Richmond were snoring in their slumbers. After fording the river, which is quite narrow at this place, and the water about up to our saddlebags, we swept onward with drawn sabres, at a light gallop, capturing without resistance four pickets, and keeping a bright lookout in all directions. As we mounted a hill in view of Charles:

The rebel officers were, without exception, gentlemen, both in appearance and manner. Had their surprise been less complete, I have no doubt they would have made an obstinate defence. Many of the rebel soldiers were well uniformed, and were mostly armed with the Maynard rifles. The force captured was a part of the Fortysecond Virginia, commanded by Major Robinson, who was away at the time on his wedding-tour. It was considered by the rebels a crack corps, they being admiringly styled "Plugs."

After destroying their camp, all the arms, accoutrements, and munitions of war, which we could not bring away, we retired leisurely across the Chickahominy. Here the regiment rested awhile. Colonel West sent a small party to secure Diascon Creek bridge. The party arrived just in time to prevent the destruction of the bridge by a small squad of guerrillas, who retired after exchanging a few shots, wounding the guide severely. We arrived in Williamsburgh yesterday afternoon. The fair portion of the inhabitants behaved any thing but amiably when they beheld the result of the expedition, in so many prisoners.

The rank and file of the captured party appeared rather happy, than otherwise, with their sudden escape from rebeldom. One (a nephew of United States Senator Bowden) took the oath of allegiance, and several seemed disposed to do so. The officers, of course, are as bitter as their systematic schooling to pervert the use of the five senses will make any one. Captain Rodgers, in command, owned nearly all the horses and equipments, and he reckons his loss heavily. Among the captured was a young woman in soldier's clothes.

We brought into our lines quite a large num

ber of contrabands. The rebel officers told them they were not compelled to come. We told them they were not compelled to stay. They seemed to value our word most, and came. One of them, an athletic, pure-blooded African, was relating his adventures. He said his master, in Richmond, had sold him for one thousand six hundred dollars, to be sent South. He ran away, and came to his wife, at Charles City Court-House. His master offered two hundred dollars for his capture, and he was obliged to hide. The morning of our arrival at the Court-House, he was lying asleep in the woods, and a little boy came and woke him up, and said that the Yankees had come. He said: "Go 'way, chile; what you want to fool dis nigga for?" But just then he heard the firing, and raising up, saw the blue coats of our troops on the hill. "I was so glad, dat I come right away, and left all my things."

Also,

times by the Howqua and Britannia.
under date of the seventeenth, Captain Ridgely
says that: "The newspaper paragraph stating
that seventeen vessels arrived in Wilmington in
one night, is entirely destitute of truth. Such
reports are, doubtless, published to encourage
the shipment of crews for the large numbers of
vessels recently purchased for blockade-running,
as they have been very roughly handled of late.
The blockade-runners change their names very
often, for the same purpose.'

Each vessel on the blockade off Wilmington sends to me here a carefully prepared abstract from the log for the month, in which every movement is actually recorded, and it is evident from a comparison of such abstracts, that the reports are entirely unfounded.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully
S. P. LEE,

yours,

A. R. Admiral Commanding N. A. B. Squadron.

The following is a list of the killed and wounded in the Mounted Rifles: Sergeant Wood, company H, killed; Corporal Smith, company H, killed; Captain L. B. Gregory, wounded severely in thigh; Sergeant Hendrickson, company H, wounded in three places; private Stoppelbein, EXPEDITION company H, wounded; private Johnson, company H, wounded slightly; guide, wounded in

Doc. 28.

THROUGH PAGE VALLEY,
VIRGINIA.

HEADQUARTERS, December 28, 1863. ON Monday morning, December twenty-first, the First Maine cavalry, with the Second, Eighth, and Sixteenth Pennsylvania cavalry regiments, assembled at Bealton Station, on the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, preparatory to their departure for Page Valley, Perryville, and the cosy little town of Luray. It was the intention of Colonel Charles H. Smith, of the First

THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BLOCKADE. Maine cavalry, who commanded the expedition,

REAR-ADMIRAL LEE'S REPORT.

FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA,

NEWPORT NEWS, VA., December 21, 1863. Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy : SIR: In reference to the excessive running of the blockade off Wilmington, as reported in the rebel journals, and copied in our own, I beg leave to call your attention to the following extracts from private letters recently found on the prize steamer Ceres, which plainly show that all such statements are fictions:

Captain Maffit, in a letter to Mr. Lamar, dated Liverpool, October, says: "The news from blockade-runners is decidedly bad. Six of the last boats have recently been caught, among them the Advance and Eugenie. Nothing has entered Wilmington for the last month."

to start at daylight, but owing to two of the regiments having returned to camp from a tedious campaign of three days only the preceding evening, a delay of a few hours was necessary to replenish exhausted stores of forage, ammunition, and subsistence.

At eleven o'clock A.M., every thing being in readiness, the four regiments took up their line of march for Sulphur Springs. After a short halt, the line was formed, and the bugle-notes echoed: "Advance." A march of a few hours brought the expedition to Amisville-a small, dilapidated village, whose inhabitants are all of strong rebel proclivities, many of them furnishing aid and comfort to the gangs of guerrillas infesting this vicinity. At daybreak, on the twenty-second, the expedition proceeded toward Gaines's Cross-Roads, and, just at the left of Amisville, a charge was made upon a few guerrillas, capturing one prisoner, and scattering the remainder in all directions. At Gaines's CrossRoads, a nest of Mosby's men was surprised and driven to the mountains. Thence, the expediCaptain Ridgely, senior naval officer off Wil- tion marched to Sperryville, where the enemy mington, reports, under date of the tenth in- were discovered holding Thornton's Gap, and, stant, that but one vessel has succeeded in upon the approach of our troops they offered getting in, to the knowledge of any of the block-considerable resistance to our advancing skirmishading vessels, and that on the night of the ers. A strong reserve making its appearance, the tenth instant. She was fired at and hit several entire force fled to the numerous paths in the mounVOL. VIII.-Doc. 19

The firm of William P. Campbell, of Bermuda, says, in a letter to their correspondents in Charleston, dated December second, 1863: "It is very dull here. The only boats that came in from Wilmington this moon were the Flora and Gibraltar."