General Stoneman of the proximity of the rebels, and he came down with General Buford's command at a doublequick, with six pieces of artillery, but did not arrive in time to meet the enemy. I ascertained from the inhabitants who witnessed the skirmish, that quite a number of rebels were wounded. The enemy's force consisted of the Ninth and Thirteenth Virginia and a portion of the First and Second.

"While these events were in progress, two other very important expeditions were being carried out under General Gregg and Colonel Kilpatrick. General Gregg, with the Tenth New York and First Maine, and two pieces of artillery, was to proceed to Ashland, and, if possible, destroy the railroad bridge at that point, while Colonel Kilpatrick, with the Harris Light and Twelfth Illinois, was to go between Ashland and Richmond, destroying bridges, railroads,

etc.

"General Gregg destroyed the bridge across the South Anna, on the road. from Columbia to Spottsylvania Court House; then struck east and destroyed the road from Beaver Dam Station; then, turning north, struck the Richmond and Gordonsville pike. From there he sent a detachment and burned the Ground Squirrel Bridge. The column then marched up the pike to within eight miles of Ashland, where they bivouacked Monday night.

The bridge was defended by infantry, and could not be destroyed, but he succeeded in destroying the track for a number of miles.

"Colonel Kilpatrick, of the New York Cavalry, and Colonel Davis, of the Twelfth Illinois, left the command. at this point.*

The following official reports of Colonels Kilpatrick and Davis give in detail the work performed by them: "YORKTOWN, VA., May 8, 1863. 'Major-General H. W. HALLECK, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army:

"GENERAL-I have the honor to report that, by direction of Major-General Stoneman, I left Louisa Court House the

morning of the 3d instant, with one regiment (the Harris Light Cavalry of my brigade), reached Hungary on the Fredericksburg Railroad at daylight on the morning of for several miles; passed over to the Brook turnpike; drove in the rebel pickets down the pike, across the

the 4th, destroyed the dépôt, telegraph wires, and railroad

brook; charged a battery and forced it to retire to within two miles of the city of Richmond; captured Lieutenant

Brown, aid-de-camp to General Winder, and eleven men Meadow Bridge, on the Chickahominy, which I burned;

within the fortifications; passed down to the left to the

ran a train of cars into the river; retired to Hanovertown, on the Peninsula; crossed and destroyed the ferry, just in

time to check the advance of a pursuing cavalry force;

burned a train of thirty wagons, loaded with bacon;

captured thirteen prisoners, and encamped for the night

five miles from the river.

"I resumed my march at one A.M. of the 5th; sur

prised a force of 300 cavalry at Aylett's; captured two officers and thirty-three men; burned fifty-six wagons and the dépôt, containing upward of 20,000 barrels of

corn and wheat, quantities of clothing and commissary

stores, and safely crossed the Mattapony, and destroyed

the ferry again, just in time to escape the advance of the rebel cavalry pursuit. Late in the evening I destroyed a third wagon train and dépôt, a few miles above and west of Tappahannock, on the Rappahannock, and from that point made a forced march of twenty miles, being

closely followed by a superior force of cavalry, supposed

to be a portion of Stuart's, from the fact that we captured

prisoners from the First, Fifth, and Tenth Virginia cavalry.

"At sundown I discovered a force of cavalry drawn up in line of battle above King and Queen Court House. The strength was unknown; but I at once advanced to the

tenant-Colonel Smith, to Ashland, to burn the bridge and destroy the track.

-a portion of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, who had become separated from the command of Lieutenant-Colonel

Davis, of the same regiment.