the direction of Leesburg. General Reynolds' brigade was in the advance, with a squadron of Colonel Bayard's cavalry sent forward as scouts; this was followed by General Meade's brigade; Colonel McCalmont's brigade marched in the rear. Having spent Saturday in making examinations of the country to the right and left of the road, and for several miles beyond Dranesville, General McCall was convinced that he could not complete the work satisfactorily, and return on the following day, in compliance with orders; he therefore despatched a messenger, on Sunday morning, to the headquarters of the army, to report this fact to General McClellan, who sent an order to General McCall, directing him to return to his camp, immediately after the object of the expedition shall have been accomplished, on the following Monday.

General McCall having fully completed his work, in obedience to orders, put his troops in motion at ten o'clock on Monday morning, to return to Langley. When the General, with his staff, reached Camp Pierpont, at one o'clock on Monday afternoon, before dismounting, he received a despatch from General McClellan, requesting him, if he had not yet moved his command, to remain at Dranesville until he received further orders. Two brigades had already reached camp, and the third was arriving in close order.

General McCall immediately telegraphed to General McClellan that his command had already reached Camp Pierpont, and asked, "What shall I do?" General McClellan replied "that he should let his command rest, and be prepared to move at a moment's notice, if required."

The arms were stacked, rations were immediately issued, the artillery horses were re-harnessed, and the command. was held in readiness until three o'clock in the afternoon of the next day, when General McCall received orders from General McClellan to dismiss his troops.

At four o'clock, three hours after McCall's troops had arrived in camp at Langley, Colonel Baker, commanding two thousand one hundred men, who had been sent across

the Potomac, without facilities for re-crossing, was sud denly attacked by five thousand rebel troops at Ball's Bluff, and was overwhelmed and defeated with heavy loss. Colonel Baker, a distinguished Senator from California, and a man of rare military genius, was killed, while rallying his brave band for another desperate charge, with the hope of cutting through the enemy's lines to escape capture; two hundred and twenty-three of his men fell dead by the side. of their gallant commander; two hundred and sixty-six were wounded, and four hundred and fifty-five were made prisoners. Had General McCall been ordered to remain at Dranesville on Monday, thirteen thousand well-ordered troops thrown on the flank and rear of the rebel force in front of Colonel Baker, would have saved the lives of the noble men, who fell a needless sacrifice to that illy-advised advance, and would have spared the nation the disgrace of Ball's Bluff.

Colonel Bayard was sent with his regiment of cavalry on a reconnoissance to Dranesville on the 26th of November, for the purpose of learning the position of the enemy's outposts. The regiment reached a position near Dranesville at five o'clock in the morning, and by dividing the regiment into two squadrons, and moving to the right and left, Colonel Bayard surrounded the village with his troopers and captured the enemy's pickets; two cavalrymen belonging to Colonel Stuart's "Virginia Horse" were captured by Captain Stadlemann, of company B. Colonel Bayard also arrested six citizens of Dranesville, who were "known to be secessionists of the bitterest stamp." As the regiment was returning with the prisoners, seven miles east of Dranesville, it was fired upon by the enemy concealed in a dense pine thicket. The first volley was aimed at the head of the column and mortally wounded Assistant-surgeon Alexander and Private Houghtaling. Colonel Bayard's horse was shot, and two balls penetrated his coat and slightly wounded him; Surgeon Stanton also had his horse shot twice, and received a rebel bullet in his clothes. The

regiment immediately surrounded the woods, and the carbineers dismounted and entering the thicket, drove the enemy from his hiding place. Two of the enemy were killed and four were captured. Colonel Bayard, in his report, says: "We killed or captured all we saw."

A general court-martial was convened in McCall's division on the 4th of December, for the trial of Colonel John II. Taggart, commanding the Twelfth regiment, on a charge preferred against him by Captain Gustin, of company C, . and Lieutenant Harding, of company B, of his regiment. The charge was that of "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." The specifications set forth, that Colonel Taggart had "shamefully beaten" and otherwise ill-treated three privates in the companies commanded by the officers who arraigned him; and also that he had obtained money from the companies by false promises. The evidence taken by the court established that the men fired their guns in the cars while passing from Baltimore to Washington, and that it was necessary to use violent measures to reduce them to obedience of orders. On another occasion, some five or six of the men left the ranks to enter an orchard, and when asked to return to their companies, refused to do so, and force was employed to maintain subordination. The finding of the court, of which General Ord was president, was that, of the charge and specifications Colonel Taggart was "not guilty ;" and that, "the court does therefore honorably acquit him; and in the opinion of this court the charge and specifications are frivolous and vexatious."

On reviewing the proceedings, General McClellan issued the following order:

"The Major-General Commanding is surprised that the charge and specifications against Colonel Taggart were ever brought to trial, resting as they do upon evidence which is so complete a vindication of his conduct. It appears that the men whom, in the enforcement of good order and military discipline, he was obliged to punish,

were contumacious and insubordinate-were, some of them, engaged in pillaging and pilfering, in which they persisted after admonition, and others were gnilty of firing their guns in the cars to the terror of the passengers, contrary to positive orders. In order to reduce them to obedience, it was necessary to act with promptitude and energy. They resisted his authority, and if much severer punishment had been necessary to restore order, it would have been fully justified. The proceedings of the court-martial are confirmed. Colonel Taggart will resume his sword and his duties."

On the 6th of December, General McCall sent General Meade's brigade, Kern's battery, and a squadron of cavalry, commanded by Major Jones, to Gunnell's farm, two miles and a half northeast from Dranesville, with instructions to capture two young men, nephews of Gunnell, and spies and murderers; also to bring in all the forage found on the farm. General Ord's brigade marched out and halted in supporting distance, in case Meade should be attacked. General Meade fully complied with his orders. He captured the spies and three of their associates, and brought in fifty-seven wagon loads of grain, seven horses, two oxen, one wagon, one fowling piece, and two negroes, which, with the five white prisoners, were sent to McClellan's headquarters.

During the day, General McCall rode to the front, and found Meade's command in most perfect order. In his report to General McClellan, he said: "It is with pleasure I refer to the very exemplary conduct of all the troops on this occasion; I can commend, from personal observation, the good discipline maintained; there was no straggling or lagging behind during the march out or returning."

While the command was in camp at Tenallytown the cavalry regiment was drilled and exercised in the movements on the field; after the corps crossed the river the men were trained as scouts and soon became one of the most efficient regiments in the service. One of the scouts