ets was kept thrown out across the valley, and every one thought that all approaches to the camp were securely guarded, and that a surprise was just about an impossibility. But the affair which took place on the tenth taught us that to be seriously mistaken is not a thing so impossi ble after all.

ness, which was only equalled by the coolness half distant from this village. The principal oband undaunted valor of our gallant boys, who ject of this disposition of Cole's men was to profought, I will venture to say, as scarcely ever tect the suspension-bridge over the Shenandoah men fought before, partially surprised, as indeed River, and to guard against any surprise which they were. To show the animus of the rebels, I might be attempted by the guerrillas in London will here state a fact, which, as a faithful chroni-Valley upon our main force in Harper's Ferry. cler of events, it pains me to record. The battalion had gone into winter quarters, and Corporal Henry C. Tritch, and others of Cap-were very comfortably situated. A line of picktain Frank Gallagher's company, declare that at the first assault of the rebels Captain William R. Smith called out to his men: "Give the Yankees no quarter, but secure the arms and horses," "Horses" was the last word he ever uttered, for at that instant a Yankee bullet went whizzing through his heart, and he fell lifeless from the saddle. His dead body now lies in its white winding-sheet of snow on the spot where it fell, a few feet from the tent in which I write. A few yards from Captain Smith lies cold in death, in a pool of his own now frozen blood, the body of Lieutenant Colson, of Baltimore, and one of General Trimble's rebel staff, as will appear from the following pass found upon his person:

"Commanding, Major and Provost-Marshal, Army
Northern Virginia."

A photograph of a beautiful young lady was also found, on which was written in pencil-"For brother Willie, from Florence."

Before daylight Sunday morning, while our cavalrymen were sound asleep in their quarters, about two hundred of Mosby's cut-throats, under command of one Captain Smith, formerly a resident in Loudon Valley, made a sudden dash into the camp of Major Cole, fired a volley into the tents where our men were sleeping, killing and wounding several, and for a few minutes having things pretty much their own way. But let it be known hereafter-if the fact has not already received publicity-that the brave and hardy men commanded by the gallant Major Cole are soldiers whom nothing can daunt, and who will shrink in no encounter, however desperate. They are, and have been for some time, the terror of the guerrillas in this region, and in fighting them rarely get quarter, nor expect nor ask it.

So, when under the cover of darkness the guerrillas made their dash yesterday morning into Cole's camp, the rebel commander cried: "Take Further on, on the edge of the camp, lie three no prisoners, men ! Give the d-d Yankees dead rebel soldiers, name and rank unknown. no quarter. Shoot every d-d son of a b-h Three prisoners are also in our hands, two of down!" It was evident to Cole's men that they them severely if not fatally wounded; of the were indeed in a somewhat uncomfortable prelatter, one is Lieutenant William Turner, of Bal- dicament-that their situation was unquestiontimore. He says his uncle, Captain Turner, re-ably a desperate one; they were taken at a great cently commanded the United States war vessel Ironsides, at Charleston.

The name of the other wounded rebel soldier is Paxton, who resides near Leesburgh, in this county.

Many of the wounded rebels are lying in farmhouses between this place and Hillsborough.

Our own loss is four killed and fifteen wounded, among the latter of whom is Captain G. W. F. Vernon, of company A, who is severely, but I rejoice to say not fatally, wounded in the head. Lieutenant Rivers, I regret to state, is severely wounded in the foot.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

HARPER'S FERRY, VA., January 11, 1864. MR. EDITOR: Since the rebel General Early at tempted to make that raid down the Shenandoah Valley, but which, you remember, he didn't make, for the simple reason that he couldn't make it a small force of our cavalry, commanded by Major Cole, numbering in all not over eighty men, have been stationed in Loudon Valley, near the Potomac, on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about a mile and a

disadvantage, they were contending against numbers almost thrice their own, and they were fighting the most desperate men in the rebel army. But our cavalrymen had met Mosby before, and knew him well, and a knowledge of the fact that to surrender to these guerrillas was to surrender life itself, nerved them to the most desperate and pertinacious resistance.

With weapons in hand, our men rushed forth from their tents, half naked, and engaged the rebels in a hand-to-hand encounter. Meantime a messenger had been despatched to Major Pratt, now in command of the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts infantry, which is still stationed here in this village. In fifteen minutes after Major Pratt had received the intelligence the Thirty-fourth was on the "double-quick." But the rebels becoming aware of the approach of our infantry, immediately took to the road and fled up the valley, leaving ten of their dead and four of their wounded. Cole's men immediately mounted and pursued the enemy, but I believe they were unable to come up with them.

Nearly all of the prisoners taken by the rebels succeeded in making their escape to Loudon

Heights, where they concealed themselves among the rocks and cliffs of the mountain. The weather being extremely cold, and the sides of the mountain being covered with snow and ice, the men who thus escaped being barefooted and almost destitute of clothing, suffered severely, and a number had their feet badly frozen; yet, strange to say, nearly all of them came into camp laughing and joking over the adventures of the night. Certainly, never before have I met with such a rough and hardy set of fellows.

In this affair we lost four men killed and about fifteen wounded. The rebels, owing to the brave resistance made by Cole's men, and the early arrival of the Thirty-fourth, succeeded in taking only three of our horses. Captain Smith, the leader of the rebels in this expedition, was killed in this manner: It appears that one of our cavalrymen having been awakened by the firing, went out of his tent to see what was up." He was met by three rebels, who demanded his revolver. He gave it up. They asked him if he had any more. He said he had in his tent. They or dered him to get them and give them up. entered his tent, and, taking his carbine, escaped from the back side, and running along behind the string of horses, reached the other end of the camp just in time to see Captain Smith when he gave his men orders to " give no quarters." Of course, the cavalryman "drew bead" on the reb, and let the approaching daylight into the body of the Captain, who would give no quarter and got none himself.

He

The manner in which the camp was surprised was thus: The rebels, by taking a circuitous route, succeeded in flanking our pickets, and getting in the rear of the camp. Then, taking a cowpath, they stole, in single-file, up to the camp. They were challenged by the guard. The commander of the rebels then dismounted, and, on approaching the guard, instead of giving the countersign, inquired where Major Cole's quarters were. Suspecting that all was not right, the guard replied that he did not know, and then attempted to discharge his carbine and give the alarm; but his piece unfortunately **missed fire." He was then immediately secured, and the dash was made on the camp; but, thanks to the coolness and bravery of Cole's men, the "rebs" got the worst of the affair in the end.

On the day following the engagement, the rebels sent a flag of truce, asking for the bodies of Captain Smith and two lieutenants who were killed. I am told that Major Cole's reply was, that if Mosby wanted the bodies of his killed, he'd better try to surprise his camp once more.

The weather continues very cold, and the snow still covers the ground. Colonel Wells, formerly commander of the brigade stationed at this place, has been ordered to preside at a courtmartial. Supply-trains run on the Winchester and Potomac Railroad as far as Haul Town. It is said that General Early, with a considerable force, is still at Winchester, and that he has gone into winter quarters there. H. E. T.

LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE,

HARPER'S FERRY, VA., January 10, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to report the following list of killed and wounded in the Independent battalion Maryland cavalry, Major Cole commanding, during an attack made on the camp on Loudon Heights, Va., by Mosby's and White's forces, at three o'clock A.M. on the tenth of January, 1864:

Killed. Sergeant J. J. Kerns, company B; private George Buford, company D.

Wounded. Company A: Captain G. W. F. Vernon, wound of head and left eye; Orderly Sergeant L. Zimmerman, flesh-wound of the left leg; private D. W. Carnes, gunshot, compound fracture of right leg; private H. F. Null, wound of abdomen; private I. Craighton, flesh-wound of left leg; private E. Goodwin, gunshot, compound fracture of left leg; private Samuel Stone, wound of abdomen.

wound of left foot; Orderly Sergeant J. C. Stouf
Company B: Lieutenant Samuel Rivers, flesh-
fer, flesh-wound of left hip; Sergeant C. W.
Ham, flesh-wound of left arm; private Samuel
Rivers, gunshot, compound fracture of left thigh;
private Gotlieb Foos, wound of shoulder and left
lung; private B. F. Fillen, wound of right shoul-
der; private A. Sosy, wound of abdomen.

left thigh.
Company C: Private Weaver, flesh-wound of

Company D: Private R. Cross, wound of right hip; Henry Howard, flesh-wound of right thigh. The above I believe to be a correct list of the casualties.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM HAYES,

Surgeon U. S. A., Medical Director.
Brigadier-General J. C. SULLIVAN,
Commanding First Division, Department of West-Virginia.

Doc. 47.

PROCLAMATION OF GENERAL BANKS,

ORDERING AN ELECTION IN LOUISIANA.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
NEW ORLEANS, January 11, 1864.

To the People of Louisiana :
I. IN pursuance of authority vested in me by
the President of the United States, and upon con-
sultation with many representative men of differ-
ent interests, being fully assured that more than
a tenth of the population desire the earliest pos-
sible restoration of Louisiana to the Union, I
invite the loyal citizens of the State, qualified to
vote in public affairs, as hereinafter prescribed,
to assemble in the election precincts designated
by law, or at such places as may hereafter be es-
tablished, on the twenty-second day of February,
1864, to cast their votes for the election of State
officers herein named, namely, Governor, Lieut-
enant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer,
Atttorney General, Superintendent of Public In-
struction, Auditor of Public Accounts, who shall,

when elected, for the time being, and until others the national existence is at stake, and the liberare appointed by competent authority, constitute ties of the people in peril, faction is treason. the civil government of the State, under the constitution and laws of Louisiana, except so much of the said constitution and laws as recognize, regulate, or relate to slavery, which being inconsistent with the present condition of public affairs, and plainly inapplicable to any class of persons now existing within its limits, must be suspended, and they are therefore and hereby declared to be inoperative and void. This proceeding is not intended to ignore the right of property, existing prior to the rebellion, nor to preclude the claim for compensation of loyal citizens for losses sustained by enlistments or other authorized acts of the Government.

II. The oath of allegiance prescribed by the President's proclamation, with the condition affixed to the elective franchise by the constitution of Louisiana, will constitute the qualification of voters in this election. Officers elected by them will be duly installed in their offices on the fourth day of March, 1864.

III. The registration of voters, effected under the direction of the Military Governor and the several Union associations, not inconsistent with the proclamation or other orders of the President, are confirmed and approved.

IV. In order that the organic law of the State may be made to conform to the will of the people and harmonize with the spirit of the age, as well as to maintain and preserve the ancient landmarks of civil and religious liberty, an election of delegates to a convention for the revision of the constitution will be held on the first Monday of April, 1864. The basis of representation, the number of delegates, and the details of election will be announced in subsequent orders.

V. Arrangements will be made for the early election of members of Congress for the State.

The methods herein proposed submit the whole question of government directly to the people-first, by the election of executive officers faithful to the Uuion, to be followed by a loyal representation in both houses of Congress ; and then by a convention which will confirm the action of the people, and recognize the principles of freedom in the organic law. This is a wish of the President. The anniversary of Washington's birth is a fit day for the commencement of so grand a work. The immortal Father of his Country was never guided by a more just and benignant spirit than that of his successor in office, the President of the United States. In the hour of our trial, let us heed his admonitions!

Louisiana, in the opening of her history, sealed the integrity of the Union by conferring upon its government the valley of the Mississippi. In the war for independence upon the sea, she crowned a glorious struggle against the first maritime power of the world by a victory unsurpassed in the annals of war. Let her people now announce to the world the coming restoration of the Union, in which the ages that follow us have a deeper interest than our own, by the organization of a free government, and her fame will be immortal! N. P. BANKS, Major-General Commanding.

Doc. 48.

EXPEDITION INTO VIRGINIA.

THE expedition embarked from Point Lookout on the morning of the twelfth of January, 1864, under command of Brigadier-General Marston, accompanied by Adjutant-General Lawrence and other members of his staff. It consisted of three hundred infantry and one hundred and thirty men of the Second and Fifth United States cavalry, under command of Lieutenants John Mix and Clark.

VI. The fundamental law of the State is martial law. It is competent and just for the Government to surrender to the people, at the earliest possible moment, so much of military power as may be consistent with the success of military A landing was effected at Kinsale, Virginia, on operations; to prepare the way, by prompt and the Yeomico River, at an early hour, and thirty wise measures, for the full restoration of the of the cavalry were detached to accompany the State to the Union and its power to the people; infantry. The remainder of the cavalry, numto restore their ancient and unsurpassed prosper- bering about one hundred, proceeded direct to ity; to enlarge the scope of agricultural and com- Warshaw Court-House, Richmond County, where mercial industry, and to extend and confirm the they found a large quantity of rebel government dominion of rational liberty. It is not within stores, consisting of pork and bacon, which they human power to accomplish these results with- took possession of and destroyed. A quantity out some sacrifice of individual prejudices and of grain was also destroyed, and a rebel major interests. Problems of state, too complicated and several other prisoners, who were in comfor the human mind, have been solved by the na-mand of the post, were taken prisoners, the aptional cannon. In great civil convulsions the pearance of our troops being so sudden and unagony of strife enters the souls of the innocent expected, that they were unable to make their as well as the guilty. The government is subject escape. to the law of necessity, and must consult the condition of things rather than the preferences of men, and if so be that its purposes are just and its measures wise, it has the right to demand that questions of personal interest and opinion shall be subordinate to the public good. When

After destroying all the government property at Warshaw, they proceeded direct to the Union wharf on the Rappahannock River, and communicated with the gunboats stationed there. From thence they went down the river, crossed Farnham's Creek, where they met a small party of

rebel cavalry, with whom some slight skirmishing took place, but they were driven off, and an extensive bridge over the creek burned. At four A.M., on the morning of the thirteenth, they encamped on the lower side of Farnham's Creek, having travelled about sixty-two miles in the space of little over twelve hours.

After five hours of rest and refreshment for both man and horse, they were again in their saddles, and at nine A.M. started for Little Waltham, where they had some more skirmishing with a small force of rebel cavalry, whom they routed, and destroyed several hundred bushels of grain and some vegetables in the possession of the military authorities.

From Little Waltham the command proceeded to Lancaster Court-House, where the main body halted, and Lieutenant Dickinson, of the Fifth cavalry, was sent to Kilmarnock, a place about ten miles distant, whilst another detachment was sent out to destroy an extensive tannery, where they gave to the torch a large stock of leather, hides, machinery, oil, etc. Lieutenant Dickinson encountered a party of rebel cavalry, with whom he skirmished for some time, severely wounding and capturing a private of the Ninth Virginia cavalry. He returned the same morning.

On the afternoon of the thirteenth, it was deemed prudent to bivouac for the night, in order to rest their horses, and pickets were sent out to guard against surprise. At ten o'clock at night, however, they were roused by distant firing, when they were soon in their saddles again, and proceeded to a point on the Wicomico River, where they anticipated forming a junction with the infantry command. They communicated with the fleet, and found all quiet.

On the morning of the fourteenth, the expedition moved up the Wicomico River to Rubetts, where a wharf, sixty-six feet long, was built, and at half past ten o'clock the same night, the whole command reembarked, taking with them twentyfive prisoners, sixty horses, twenty mules, sixtyfive head of cattle, and one hundred and six sheep. They lost one man killed, and returned to Point Lookout on the morning of the fifteenth, all highly delighted with their three days' sojourn in Dixie. The infantry rendered efficient service in constructing the wharf for their reembarkation, and the whole expedition was carried out according to the original plans of General Marston without any misunderstandings.

Lieutenants Dickinson and Denney, of the Fifth cavalry, and William Everett, a citizen volunteer, who accompanied them, are highly complimented for their bravery and valuable services.

Commodore F. A. Parker, of the Potomac flotilla, and Lieutenant Provo, commanding the Anacostia, and now commanding the flotilla in the vicinity of Point Lookout, heartily cooperated with General Marston, and rendered most valuable aid in effecting the embarkation and reembarkation.

Doc. 49.

PRINCIPLES OF THE STRONG BAND.

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL,
CHICAGO, ILL., Jan. 14, 1864.

Ar a meeting of the Board of Control of the Strong Band, held at their rooms on the fourth day of January, 1864, it was unanimously resolved, that the following be published as the aim, object, and intent of the Strong Band, to wit:

The aim of the Strong Band is to assist the Federal Government in putting down the present infamous rebellion, in maintaining the Constitution of the United States, in enforcing the laws, and in reestablishing the Union on the basis of universal freedom, with the territorial boundaries it possessed before the revolt.

The object of the Strong Band is to introduce into every department of the Government the most rigid system of retrenchment and reform, compatible with a vigorous and successful prosecution of the war; to restore the institutions of the Republic to their original purity, as founded by the patriots and sages of the Revolution, and declared in the preamble of the Constitution to be "To form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity."

The intent of the Strong Band is to use every honorable means to elevate to place and power only such true and loyal patriots as have the ability to direct, and the firmness and will to enforce all measures necessary to accomplish these ends; our only test for each candidate being, Is he honest? is he capable? is he strictly loyal? And that we may be able to accomplish these ends, we will enrol in our organization all true and loyal patriots who seek and will labor for the best interests of our country and its institutions.

By these means we hope to perpetuate civil and religious liberty; to preserve our country hereafter from every convulsion, and to make it an asylum for the oppressed of all nations-"the land of the free, and the home of the brave."

And as the President's Proclamation, under authority of Congress, emancipating the slaves in the insurgent States, has, to that extent, substantially abolished slavery in those States; and, as a great measure, has received the cordial approval of the mass of the loyal people of this country; and as, in our opinion, there is no power to change or alter the relations of the several States to the Union; those relations having been suspended only while the people of such | States were in armed resistance to the Federal Government; and as we believe that the perfect, thorough, and entire abolition of slavery, in all the States and Territories, is indispensable to the future peace and perpetuation of the Union, and the best interests of our whole nation, therefore, we will cordially support such plan of reconstruction, consistent with these views, as reduced