north, and longitude one degree eleven and a half may add that, having occasion to send an empty minutes west. The water is good and abundant, train to Carson for quartermaster's stores, I furas well from the river as from numerous moun nished to one hundred and fifty Morrisites transtain streams, easily directed for purposes of irri-portation to that point, and they have already gation. arrived safe at their destination. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, P. EDW. CONNER, Back of the town, and north, wood for fuel is abundant, while on the opposite side of the river timber of large growth, suitable for building purposes, is found at a distance of less than two miles. The soil, judging from the growth of the native grasses, and the appearance of the ground, is susceptible of cultivation and the raising of valuable crops. The shortness of the season and the altitude of the place alone renders this at all doubtful. The settlers were allotted building lots of fair size, and proceeded immediately to the erection of shelters for themselves and families. After remaining at this point for six days, and establishing the infantry at the new post, and looking to the present and immediate future wants of the settlers, on the thirtieth of May I returned to this post via the Mormon settlements in Cache Valley. The explorations above referred to satisfied me of the fertility of the country surrounding Soda Springs, and of the entire practicability of making, at a small expense of labor, a good wagonroad from the northern settlements of Cache Valley, crossing Bear River at or near the battleground, through a gap in the mountains, and thence northerly along the western bank of Bear River to Soda Springs. The road will be much more direct than the old road traversed by the infantry company, and the distance can be reduced from two hundred miles, as at present, to about one hundred and fifty or one hundred and sixty miles. This road connecting with the new road explored by Lieutenant Clark, north from Soda Springs to Bannock City, will render the distance from the latter place to this point not more than three hundred and fifty miles. The new road north from Soda Springs to Snake River will shorten the route of emigrants from the East via Fort Bridger, not less than seventy miles, as well as present a route well watered and furnishing good feed for animals, with an abundance of game. The expedition has travelled in a direct line about five hundred miles, and has carefully explored a region of country over one thousand miles in extent, heretofore little known, and concerning which only the most vague and crude ideas were held. Before leaving Soda Springs I sent a detachment of twenty men over the mountains to pass through Bear Lake Valley, in hopes of finding the band of Sagnitch supposed to be roaming in that direction. The detachment was unsuccessful in its object, and it joined the command a few days after at Franklin, the most northern settlement in Cache Valley, having thoroughly searched the region through which it passed. In this connection, I Brigadier-General U. S. Vols., Commanding District. Lieutenant-Colonel R. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General U. S. A., Department of Pacific, San Francisco, Cal. Doc. 32. THE UNION CAVALRY SERVICE. DETAILS OF THE OPERATIONS DURING THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST LEE, JUNE AND JULY, 1863. } FALLING WATERS, MARYLAND, Wednesday, July 15, 1863. In addition to the battles of Beverly Ford, Aldie, Middleburgh and Upperville, now matters of history, I have to record fifteen more engagements of our cavalry with the enemy, in thirteen of which cavalry was exclusively used, with flying artillery—all within sixteen days. I have already furnished you with brief accounts of these battles as they have transpired-such as could be hastily prepared when prostrated by fatigue produced by physical exertion and the loss of sleep, and laboring under the depressing effect of a relapse from the wildest excitement and while seated on the wet grass or under a dripping treevaluable time, in which companions sought repose. But how describe fifteen battles in sixteen days? To do the subject justice would require the pen of a Victor Hugo and as much time as was consumed in the preparation of Les Miserables. Surrounded as I am at this moment by all the paraphernalia of actual war, deadly contest still raging within hearing, ay, within full sight of my temporary abode, fully expecting the enemy to force me upon the road at any moment, should our arms meet with but a temporary and even the slightest reverse-it is impossible to describe with that minuteness of detail desirable, the scenes of strife that have passed under my own observation in the brief space of time mentioned. The whole scene, as reviewed at this time, seems more like a dream than a reality. Fighting by day, and marching and sometimes fighting at night, in thunder-storms, crossing mountains, and fording swollen rivers-with a wily, relentless foe both in front and flank, made desperate by his situation-a river in his rear, with only one pontoon and almost without a train, and a large victorious army in front pressing him into his lair. In attempting to write this résumé, I am prompted quite as much to the task by a desire to do justice to the noble dead who sleep in a soldier's grave, to those now suffering from wounds received, to the survivors who have passed through these terrible ordeals unscathed, and last to the cavalry arm of the service, as I am with any hope of presenting any thing particularly new. Shame! shame! that while our volunteers are freely laying their lives upon the sitions, the General hurled upon the insolent and altar of their country-fighting battles and suffer- advancing enemy the Fifth New-York cavalry— ing all the trials and exposure incident to active a regiment never known to falter in an emermilitary life-that now, when death and disease gency. General Stuart in person led the charg has thinned their ranks, and the necessities of ing column, and the Fifth was led by General the country require more men, there can be found Farnsworth and Major Hammond. For some those at home who have the effrontery to resist time the contest hung in the balance, but General the means adopted to secure so desirable an end. Custer's brigade returning after a severe strugCould the men engaged in the recent disturb-gle, which lasted nearly four hours, the enemy ance in New-York have heard the indignation was forced to retire. They lost in this engageexpressed by our soldiers when they first read ment a stand of colors, fifty men-ten of whom of the riot in New-York, from newspapers scat- were killed-and included among the latter was tered along the column to-day, and the wish that Captain James Dickenson, of Baltimore, attached they could be led against that mob, they would to the Tenth Virginia cavalry. Lieutenant-Colonever dare look a soldier in the face again. nel Payne, of the same regiment was taken prisoner, together with forty others--officers of the line, non-commissioned officers and privates. It was in this fight that the Adjutant of the Fifth New-York, Lieutenant Gaul, lost his life while gallantly leading his men. On the twenty-fifth of June, after the battles of Aldie, Middleburgh, and Upperville, the cavalry moved forward to Leesburgh, thence across the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry to Poolesville, passing through Seneca Mills, Middlebrook, Doub's Station, Jefferson, to Frederick City. At this point the force was divided, and went in different directions. As General Kilpatrick was placed in command of the largest division, and being a man of fertile genius, whose heart is in the cause in which he is engaged-and withal one of the most dashing cavalry officers in the United States or any other service, the writer concluded that his duty to the paper he represented required him to proceed with a command which promised so much. For once his judgment was not at fault. The experience of the last ten days has proved quite conclusively that the Third division of the cavalry is the place for representatives of newspapers in search of either news, fatigue, or fighting. As the cavalry by the battles at Aldie and Upperville, prevented the rebel Stuart from marching his column through Maryland and Pennsylvania by the way of Edwards's Ferry and Boonsboro, so did the whipping of him at Hanover prevent further marauding excursions toward the centre of the State. Stuart and Early, the marauding chiefs of the rebel army, when they heard that Kilpatrick was on their track, abandoned the disgraceful work they were engaged in, and began to look about them for a safe exit from the State. These legalized Dick Turpins had demanded tribute in almost every town visited by them, and threatened to destroy the towns unless their demands were promptly met. In some towns Leaving Frederick on Sunday, the twenty- the citizens nobly refused to comply, but prepareighth, Walkerville, Mount Pleasant, Liberty, ed rather to sacrifice their property than to yield Johnsville, Middleburgh, Taneytown, and Little- to the invader. In many places, I regret to say, town were passed through, without any import- the reverse of all this was acted upon. At York, ant event to record; and, on the thirtieth, (Tues- a town of twelve thousand inhabitants, the chief day,) Hanover was reached. As the troops cross-burgomaster, a man named Small, rode seven ed the line into Pennsylvania, their spirits seemed to be revived by the fertile fields and homelike scenes around them. Cheerfully they moved on-many of them, alas! too soon, to their last resting-place. THE BATTLE AT HANOVER. At about midday, General Kilpatrick, with his command, was passing through Hanover, in York County, Pennsylvania--a town containing three thousand inhabitants-and when the rear of General Farnsworth's brigade had arrived at the easterly end of the place, General Custer's brigade having advanced to Abbottsville, General Stuart made a simultaneous attack upon his rear and right flank. The attack was entirely a surprise, as no enemy had been reported in the vicinity; and under any ordinary general, or less brave troops, so sudden and impetuous was the first charge, the whole command would have been thrown into the wildest confusion, and, as a necessary consequence, suffered a severe loss and a disastrous defeat. The force was in the hands of a master. Speedily making his dispo miles to surrender the town, and before any demand had been made for its surrender. General Early condescended to say, that if in the course of his peregrinations York was visited, he would consider the surrender as an ameliorating circumstance. Visiting the place, he demanded a ransom of one hundred thousand dollars and a supply of provisions and clothing for his whole command. A committee of citizens was actually formed, and forty-five thousand dollars in greenbacks and the required provisions were turned over to the Early aforesaid, who magnanimously offered to spare the town then, provided the balance of the money demanded was paid upon his return, which he said would be within a few days. Fortunately, General Kilpatrick's troops frightened this pink of generals away, and the citizens of York and vicinity were saved the opportunity of further humiliating themselves. On the Saturday previous to arriving in Hanover, one hundred and fifty of Stuart's cavalry entered that place, and did pretty much as they pleased, not one of the three thousand inhabitants daring to remonstrate or raise a finger in self-defence. In fact, it appears they met more friends than enemies for they found those who gave them information as to the movements of our troops, and were thereby enabled to make the sudden attack they did upon the rear of General Farnsworth's brigade the following Tuesday. Indeed, I have had in my possession a letter written by Fitz-Hugh Lee, and addressed to General Stuart on the very morning of the attack, giving a correct account of General Kilpatrick's movements, "obtained," he says, "from a citizen, and is reliable." There was no "reliable citizen" in all Pennsylvania to inform General Kilpatrick of the approach of General Stuart upon the rear of General Farnsworth's brigade; and our commnnders throughout the campaign in that State, labored under almost as many disadvantages as if campaigning in an enemy's country. Indeed, not until we arrived near Gettysburgh, could any valuable information as to the enemy's movements be obtained. In conversation with the editor of a paper in Hanover, whom I accidentally met, after showing him the letter of Fitz-Hugh Lee, I made the remark that the rebels appeared to have a great many sympathizers in that vicinity. He replied: "I don't know as to that, but you see this is a very strong Democratic county, and the Democrats were opposed to the removal of McClellan!" Leading and active Union men were pointed out by the traitors, who seek to mask their treason under the garb of Democracy in this town, that they might be plundered by the marauders. One man, a jeweller, was thus pointed out, and his stock in trade, though concealed, was unearthed, and divided among the rebel soldiers. In Hanover, and at other points, particularly in York County, the enemy found warm friends ready to welcome them, and actually received some recruits for their army. Women at the Washington Hotel in York degraded themselves by waving their handkerchiefs in token of welcome to the rebel troops, and there were a number of citizens who spread tables for the officers, and invited them to their houses. At Mechanicsville, one "Democrat" was so buoyant, that he mounted a sword, and guided the rebel column to the railroad junction, where they destroyed a large amount of property. There seemed to be a perfect understanding between the enemy and men whose loyalty had been questioned before. One of this class recovered nine horses from Stuart; "they were taken by mistake." The keeper of a hotel in Abbotstown, who, I regret to say, was once a leading "Wide Awake" also manifested his pleasure at receiving a visit from the rebels. Fortunately, even the Democrats of York County have seen all they wish of rebels-a column of whom can be smelled as far as a slave-ship. A majority of the women in Hanover and elsewhere are truly loyal. They cared for the wounded-even taking them from the streets while bullets were flying around promiscuously. They furnished provisions to the soldiers, and in most instances, positively refusing to receive any pay. In one instance, a citizen voluntarily exchanged horses with a scout to enable the latter to escape. While our troops were engaged at Hanover, another rebel force made a dash at Littlestown, with a view of capturing a train near that place. Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander and Captain Armstrong happened to be near the spot at the time, and repulsed the enemy with the Fifth and Sixth Michigan regiments. Before visiting Pennsylvania, there is not a shade of doubt but what the rebels expected to secure a large acquisition to their force as soon as the State was invaded; seventy-five thousand, men was the number they everywhere, in Maryland and Virginia, told the citizens, as they passed along, would join them. But your Copperhead is a man of words, and when asked to fight, many of them, at least, suddenly began to love the Union. The enemy lost more men by desertion in Pennsylvania than they received in recruits. A little boy named Smith, twelve years of age, who came out as bugler in the First Maine cavalry, was active in the fight, and had a horse killed under him at Hanover. Since that time he has been adopted as an aid by General Kilpatrick, and is always to be seen near the General, whether in a charge or elsewhere. Since Hanover he has had another horse killed under him, and one wounded. Wednesday, July second, General Kilpatrick made a forced march to the vicinity of Heidlersburgh, to intercept Stuart, who was moving toward the main body of the rebel army. Unfortunately, the information of this movement came too late; the enemy had passed the point indicated two hours before the head of the column reached it. In the then jaded condition of the horses, it was impossible to continue the pursuit, and the command fell back several miles, and bivouacked for the night. THE BATTLE AT HUNTERSTOWN. Thursday, July second, General Kilpatrick moved his whole command upon Hunterstown, and driving in the enemy's pickets, attacked the left flank of the army. General Gregg's command had the day before been fighting the enemy at Gettysburgh, and held the hill west of the town until driven from it by the artillerymen attached to the Eleventh corps-a position which cost many valuable lives to retake. The column did not reach Hunterstown until four o'clock P.M., when a squadron of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, headed by Captain Estes, charged through and drove the enemy back upon his reserve on the Gettysburgh_road. After surveying the position, General Farnsworth's brigade was ordered on a road to the right leading to Cashtown, and General Custer's brigade was placed to the left. Company A, Captain Thompson, of the Sixth Michigan, was ordered to charge upon the rebel force then in sight; at the same time two companies of the Sixth were deployed as skirmishers in a wheatfield obliquely to the road, so as to pour in a raking fire upon the enemy should the force sent forward be repulsed. The charge ordered was made, General Custer and Captain Thompson leading it. The company was repulsed, and the enemy came charging down the road at a fearful rate, yelling like fiends. But their tune was soon changed. Two shells from Elder's battery, together with a flank fire from the Michiganders in the wheat-field, soon brought them to an about face. Pennington's battery was soon in position, and a regular artillery duel commenced, and was continued until after nightfall. Our fire was very destructive to the enemy, as prisoners of rank have since admitted. Captain Thompson was severely wounded, two men were killed, and some twenty-five were wounded. The enemy's loss must have been very severe, for they left three dead lieutenants on our hands and a dozen or more of their wounded. In the charge made, a boy named Churchill, of the First Michigan, took an active part, and succeeded in killing a man who was trying to kill General Custer, whose horse had been shot in the mêlée. Having repulsed the enemy, General Kilpatrick received orders to join the main command at Two Taverns, which place was reached at about four o'clock, Friday morning, July third. Three hours afterward the whole command was again in motion, and, by eleven o'clock, made a dash upon the right flank of the enemy, with a view of destroying his train, if possible, and, at all events, creating a diversion. Owing to a misunderstanding, one brigade (General Custer's) of this division went to the right, and, consequantly, the first object mentioned was not accomplished, but the second was fully. It was known that the enemy would mass his forces on Friday, for the purpose of breaking our right. The sudden and unexpected attack of General Kilpatrick on his own right caused the enemy to fear a flank movement in that direction, and changed the character of the battle from attack | to simply defensive. Unexpectedly hearing heavy firing, and receiving a brisk attack on the right flank and rear, the enemy sent forward a large force of infantry to cooperate with the cavalry, then being pressed back. Having had their skirmishers driven from the woods, the enemy took a strong position behind two stone and rail fences, one a few rods in the rear of the other, and a similar fence on the flanks. General Kilpatrick was anxious to carry this position, because, if successful, the enemy's ammunition train could be reached. Every means had been used to start the enemy for a charge, but unsuccessfully. The First Vermont, Colonel Preston; First Virginia, Major Copeland; and the Eigh teenth Pennsylvania cavalry, Colonel Brinton, were in position to charge. The First Vermont, First Virginia, and a squadron of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania, led by General Farnsworth, dashed forward at the word until the stone wall was reached. A few men pulled the rail fence away from the top of the wall. General Farnsworth leaped his horse over, and was followed by the First Vermont-the enemy breaking before them and taking a position behind the second fence. The few rods between the two fences where our men crossed was a fearfully dangerous place, the little fence receiving the concentrated fire of three lines, from front and both flanks. The witnesses of the movement stood in breathless silence— their blood running cold as the chargers gained the second fence. Man after man was seen to fall-General Farnsworth among the rest. "He is killed!" gasped many a one, looking at that fatal spot; but no-that tall form and slouched hat are his-he lives-and all breathe again. His horse had been killed; a soldier gives him his horse; the General again mounts and dashes on. The enemy here make a more formidable stand, but are driven away, and the whole force go dashing, reeling over the fence in a whirlpool of shot and shell, such as is seldom ever witnessed by soldiers. The constant roar of musketry and artillery on the main field gave to the scene a peculiar grandeur. It was fearfully grand. Thesecond fence crossed, and new fires were opened upon this brave band. To retreat at that point was certain death, and the only chance of safety was to advance, and advance they did for between one and two miles, to the rear of the rebel army, in sight of the coveted train—but at what a cost! Dispersing, the men returned under a galling fire as best they could. A few did not get back to their command for hours-many never came. The list of missing gradually lessened, and hope led us to look anxiously for the return of General Farnsworth; and when, with the morning's dawn, no tidings from him were heard, then hope said he was wounded-a prisoner he has been left seriously, perhaps dangerously, wounded at some house by the roadside. Vain hope! Messengers were sent in every direction to search for the missing spirit. It did not seem possible that he could be dead; and yet, so it was. fell just after crossing the second fence, his bowels pierced by five bullets. There some of the Vermont boys, left behind at the hospital, found his body two days after the fight, and saw it decently interred. The brave, noble, and generous Farnsworth has gone to his last rest, and the sod that covers his grave has been wet by the tears of those who loved and honored him while living. His name will ever be held in remembrance by every member of the Third division. He Of the three squadrons of the Vermont regiment in the advance in this charge, there were fifteen killed, fifteen wounded, and twenty or more are missing. The regiment lost seventyfive men during the fight. This was the last charge of the day at this point. It caused the enemy to concentrate a still larger force upon his right flank until their whole line fell back. Night soon came on, and with it a drenching shower, in which the cavalry, exhausted with the labors of the day, retired two miles and sought such repose as could be obtained in an open field. The day had been exceedingly hot and many men were prostrated by the heat. The Fifth New-York supported a battery which was ex posed to a very hot fire. A shell passed through the body of Daniel Hurley, company C, killed a horse, and wounded John Buckley, of the same company. response, and on the First Virginia dash to Ringgold, ordering the cowed and frightened trainguard to surrender, as they swept along for eight miles, where the head of the train was reached. Saturday morning, July fourth, it became Here the two hundred men who started on the known that the enemy was in full retreat, and charge had been reduced to twenty-five, and seizGeneral Kilpatrick moved on to destroy his training upon a good position the rebels made a stand. and harass his column. A heavy rain fell all As the force in front could not be seen, Major day, and the travelling was any thing but agree- Copeland decided not to proceed further, but to able. We arrived at Emmetsburgh-one of the await daylight and reenforcements. Both came strongest secesh villages to be found-about mid- and the enemy fled. Arriving at Gettysburgh day, during a severe storm. After a short halt pike, the Eighteenth Pennsylvania was placed the column moved forward again, and at Foun- there as a guard; for protection a barricade was taindale, just at dark, we commenced ascending hastily thrown up. No sooner was this done the mountain. Imagine a long column of cavalry than cavalry was heard charging down the road. winding its way up the mountain, on a road dug "Who comes there, etc. ?" calls out the officer in out of the mountain side, which sloped at an charge at the barricade. "Tenth Virginia cavalangle of thirty degrees-just wide enough for ry!" was the reply. "To with you, Tenth four horses to march abreast on one side a deep Virginia cavalry," and the squadron fired a volabyss and on the other an impassable barrier, in ley into the darkness. That was the last heard the shape of a sleep embankment; the hour ten of the Tenth Virginia cavalry that night, until o'clock at night, a drizzling rain falling, the sky numbers of the regiment came straggling in and overcast, and so dark as literally not to be able gave themselves up as prisoners of war. Other to see one's own hand if placed within a foot of cavalry moved up and down the road upon which the organs of vision; the whole command, both the train was standing, and some most amusing men and animals, worn out with fatigue and loss scenes occurred. The train belonged to Ewell's of sleep; then imagine that, just as the head of division, and had in it also a large number of this tired, hungry and sleepy column nears the private carriages and teams, containing officers' crest of the mountain, a piece of cannon belches baggage. Four regiments were doing guard-duty, forth fire and smoke and destructive missiles but as they judged of the future by the past, directly in front. Imagine all this, and a little they supposed our army would rest two or three more, and the reader can then form some idea of months after winning a battle, and magnaniwhat occurred to General Kilpatrick's command, mously permit the defeated enemy to get away on Saturday night, July fourth, as it ascended his stores and ordnance, and have a little time the mountain to the Monterey Gap, and so across also to recruit, and therefore the attack was a to Waterloo on the western slope. The column complete surprise. A thunderstorm was prevailcommenced to ascend the mountain at about ing at the time, and the attack was so entirely dark, and arrived near the Monterey House, at unexpected that there was a general panic among the top, between nine and ten o'clock. The ene- both guard and teamsters. I am not surprised my had planted a piece of artillery near this spot, at this, for the howling of the storm, the rushing so as to command the road, and also had sharp- of water down the mountain-side, and the roarshooters on the flanks. It was intended to make ing of the wind, altogether were certainly enough a strong defence here, as one half-mile beyond in that wild spot to test the nerves of the strongthe enemy's train was crossing the mountain on est. But when is added to this a volley of pisthe Gettysburgh and Hagerstown pike. The tol and carbine shots occasionally, a slap on the Fifth Michigan cavalry was in advance, and al- back with the flat of a sword, and a hoarse voice though on the look-out for just such an occur- giving the unfortunate wight the choice of surrence, it startled the whole column; a volley of rendering or being shot, then added to this the musketry was fired by a concealed force at the fearful yells and imprecations of the men wild same time at the head of the column; the first with excitement, all made up a scene certainly squadron of the Fifth broke, fell back upon the never excelled before in the regions of fancy. second and broke that-but there was no such Two rebel captains, two hours after the train thing as running back a great ways on that road; had been captured, came up to one of the reit was jammed with men and horses. The broken serve commands and wanted to know what regisquadron immediately rallied, and skirmishers ment that was-supposing it belonged to their were posted on the most available points, and the own column. They discovered their mistake First Virginia, Major Copeland, was ordered to when Lieutenant Whittaker, of General Kilpatthe front, and upon arriving there was ordered rick's staff, presented a pistol and advised them to charge; and charge they did at a rapid gait to surrender their arms. Several other officers down the mountain side into the inky darkness who might have easily escaped came in voluntabefore them, accompanied by a detachment of rily and gave themselves up. Under so good the First Ohio, Captain Jones. As anticipated, subjection were the enemy that there was no the train was struck, just in rear of the centre, necessity of making any change in teamsters or at the crossing one half-mile west of the Monte-drivers-they voluntarily continuing right on in rey House. A volley is fired as the train is Uncle Sam's service as they had been in the conreached. "Do you surrender?" "Yes," is the federate service, until it was convenient to relieve |