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HDQRS. 3D BRIG., 1ST DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA, Martinsburg, W. Va., February 4, 1864. Maj. WILLIAM BELL, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry: You will proceed at daylight with 150 men of your own regiment and a detachment of the Fifteenth New York Cavalry up the valley, avoiding Winchester and Strasburg. You will proceed as far as Woodstock. At the most convenient point on this side of Winchester you will detach a reliable officer and 25 men, who will proceed direct through Winchester and Strasburg and join you at Woodstock. He will be directed to seize all the mails in the post-offices and collect all possible information. You will be supplied before marching with three days' rations and forage. All papers are to be brought to these headquarters without examination. R. S. RODGERS, Colonel, Commanding.

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HEADQUARTERS TWELFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY, In the Field, July 4, 1864--10.30 a.m. Captain BURLEIGH: The enemy is advancing in stronger force than I will be able to hold in check much longer. The heaviest line of skirmishers to left of pike. Infantry supported by cavalry. WILLIAM BELL, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

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HEADQUARTERS, Harper's Ferry, W. Va., July 4, 1864. Lieutenant-Colonel BELL, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry: COLONEL: If your pickets are attacked, take the necessary steps to re-enforce them, and report to these headquarters the strength of the enemy. Lieutenant Titus will send no more communications personally to these headquarters. They must be signed by you and directed to the assistant adjutant-general. Respectfully, &c., H. M. BURLEIGH, Assistant Adjutant-General.

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MARTINSBURG, W. VA., February 4, 1864. Captain BOONE, Assistant Adjutant-General: Major Bell left with 200 men at daylight as ordered. Any news? R. S. RODGERS, Colonel, Commanding.

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MARTINSBURG, W. VA., February 4, 1864. Lieut. F. A. NIMS, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General : Is Major Bell to go through Winchester and Strasburg or to avoid them, and is he to go to Woodstock? Is the small party to go through Winchester and join Major Bell or to return here from Winchester? R. S. RODGERS, Colonel, Commanding.

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HARPER'S FERRY, W. VA., February 4, 1864. Col. R. S. RODGERS, Martinsburg, W. Va.: Major Bell will not go through Winchester and Strasburg, but will send a small detachment through those places to rejoin him above. He will go to Woodstock. The small party will go through and join Major Bell, and will not return until the whole scout is performed. F. A. NIMS, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

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HDQRS. 3D BRIG., 1ST DIV., DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA, Martinsburg, W. Va., February 4, 1864. Maj. WILLIAM BELL, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry: You will proceed at daylight with 150 men of your own regiment and a detachment of the Fifteenth New York Cavalry up the valley, avoiding Winchester and Strasburg. You will proceed as far as Woodstock. At the most convenient point on this side of Winchester you will detach a reliable officer and 25 men, who will proceed direct through Winchester and Strasburg and join you at Woodstock. He will be directed to seize all the mails in the post-offices and collect all possible information. You will be supplied before marching with three days' rations and forage. All papers are to be brought to these headquarters without examination. R. S. RODGERS, Colonel, Commanding.

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MERCERSBURG, July 5, 1863. Before receipt of your dispatch of this date, I sent 200 select cavalry of First New York and Twelfth Pennsylvania, in command of Captain Jones, First New York Cavalry, in the direction of Williamsport. He captured near Greencastle 100 wagons, 3 pieces of artillery, and 500 prisoners. The enemy attempted a rescue, but were repulsed. Enemy lost considerably. Our loss, 1 killed and 3 wounded. Will report fully to-morrow. Most of my infantry here. L. B. PIERCE, Colonel, Commanding.

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BLOODY RUN, BEDFORD COUNTY, PA., June 29, 1863. SIR: Most respectfully I submit the following report of the doings and part taken by the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry in the late engagement at Winchester, Va.: Friday, June 12, the regiment was ordered out on the Front Royal road, to proceed to the river. According to order, they proceeded to within about 3 miles of the river, where they found a large rebel force, consisting of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. After skirmishing with them awhile, and ascertaining their strength, the regiment fell back to Winchester. Two men wounded. On arriving at Winchester, we were again ordered to go out on the Strasburg road, to re-enforce the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. Did not proceed far before the regiment met them returning with some prisoners. Both regiments returned to camp. At about 7 p.m. the regiment, by order from General Milroy, left camp on scout for Strasburg, or to go as far as Middletown. We proceeded to Middletown and beyond. Saw no rebels, and returned to camp about 2 a.m. Saturday morning, about 7 o'clock, by general order, we took the advance on the Strasburg road to Union Mills (I think is the name), about 4 or 5 miles from town. We found some infantry there. We proceeded on the Strasburg road about 3 miles farther. Remained an hour or so; then fell back to the force which had collected and was in line of battle near the mill. We were placed on the extreme right of the line. About noon, action commenced on the Front Royal road. Our regiment took the advance on the Strasburg road near the mill; sent out skirmishers. Found the rebels in large force in woods to the left of the Strasburg road. After some skirmishing, and the woods shelled by our artillery, the rebels fell back, and changed their position to the right of the road. During the skirmishing, we lost 1 man killed and 2 wounded. The fight soon became quite general on the right of the road, but our infantry and artillery sustained their ground, and drove them back until dark, when the regiment was ordered back near to Winchester; there remained in line with the Thirteenth during a heavy thunder-storm until about 12 o'clock, when we were ordered to camp, which was located on the Martinsburg road about 1 mile from town, and to remove everything out of camp, excepting tents, to the west side of the fortification, and for the regiment to locate on the Pughtown road, about 1 mile west of the main fortification. On the morning of Sunday, we placed pickets on the rise of ground on the extreme north and west of the fortification, and sent out scout of two companies on the Pughtown road, and also to cross over to the Strasburg road. They returned about 1 or 2 o'clock; reported no rebels in that direction. During the day the woods were shelled from our fortification in every direction, a small force of rebels appearing on the Front Royal road until about 5 o'clock, when the rebels came up in the rear in large force; took possession of the hill west and north of our fortification. Commenced throwing -the shells in every direction. We moved along the Pughtown road to the front or south of our fortification. Remained there until ordered to leave. About 3 a.m. of Monday [15th], we were placed as the advance guard. After proceeding about 4 miles out of town on the Martinsburg road, our advance guard was stopped by rebel pickets. We sent re-enforcements. Drove the pickets into the woods, when firing commenced on our advance guard from both sides of the road, which was returned with great spirit and determination, not only by our advance guard, but the right of the regiment, which had advanced to their relief or to sustain them. In this position we remained about fifteen or twenty minutes before the infantry came up. When they came, they flanked the rebels right and left; opened the most deadly and terrific fire I ever witnessed. Our regiment retired in good order a few rods until the rebels opened up their cannon, throwing their shell among us, so that we were compelled to leave. Our regiment (the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry) left in good order, losing 3 killed and a number wounded and missing. We proceeded to Bath and to Hancock: then to Bedford, and here. Respectfully, your obedient servant, DARIUS TITUS, Major Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. Maj. JOHN O. CRAVENS,

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HEADQUARTERS TWELFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY, Charlestown, W. Va., February 4, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to report that the party which ran the train off the track on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad crossed at or near Keyes' Ford. I had timely information of their crossing and their whereabouts, and would have succeeded in capturing some of them had my orders been obeyed. About 10 p.m. I sent out two parties under command of Lieutenants Guild and Chase. These parties were about fifty strong. Lieutenant Chase was ordered, with his command, to cover the roads leading to the different fords through Bloomery. Lieutenant Guild was ordered to overtake and head oft the party, attack them, and drive them back. After he left camp, instead of following them up, he thought he had better move toward the river, the diametrically opposite direction from his orders. Lieutenant Chase (with good reason) did not expect our own men in that direction, and fired into Lieutenant G.'s command. I regret to say that one man, Private Hogeland, Company D, was wounded. I have placed Lieutenant Guild in arrest and now report him for immediate dismissal, as he is solely responsible for the miscarriage of my plans. I do not design that he be court-martialed, as that would occupy more time than he is worth. He is entirely unfit for a commission, inasmuch as he takes no pains to improve himself, nor does he study to render himself worthy of his position. He, although never what you could charge as drunkenness, is always full, and when not stupefied with whisky he is with opium. His performance last night is sufficient evidence against him to hang him. The scouting party which brought the information lost cue of their number. He was taken prisoner by the rebels, but in returning over the same ground his dead body was found in the road, evidently murdered after capture. Upon receiving Lieutenant Guild's report I immediately dispatched parties to Duffield's and Smithfield, as it was evident to me they had gone in that direction. They report that, after throwing off the train, the enemy separated into small parties and made toward the Shenandoah. They were unable to come up with them. As far as I can learn they numbered about thirty men. Very respectfully, M. A. RENO, Colonel, Commanding Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. Capt. J. P. ROCKWELL, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Harper's Ferry, Va.

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HDQRS. TWELFTH PENNSYLVANIA VOL. CAVALRY, Charlestown, Va., March 29, 1865. I have the honor to submit the following report of operations in the Valley of Virginia, in pursuance to instructions from Middle Military Division headquarters, dated March 17, 1865: The command--First [U.S.] Veteran [Volunteer Infantry], Lieuten-ant-Colonel Bird; Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Captain McAllaster, and Loudoun County Rangers, Captain Grubb--left the bridge at Harper's Ferry at 9.30 a.m. March 20, and that night encamped at Hillsborough, the cavalry moving by way of Lovettsville, destroying what forage could be found in the possession of disloyal persons. 21st, marched to Purcellville, moving the cavalry by way of Leesburg, Waterford, and Wheatland, with the same instructions; the cavalry reported to me at Purcellville, and, with the whole command, I moved to Hamilton, near which point I attacked Mosby's command, who was posted on the road leading to Middleburg. The enemy succeeded in throwing the cavalry into some confusion, but they were easily driven away by a volley from the infantry. I followed them as far and as fast as I could until dark, and encamped for the night on a branch of Goose Creek. My loss was 9 killed and 12 wounded; the enemy lost about the same, including three captains killed, and four commissioned officers wounded, and six prisoners. I did not succeed in bringing him to close quarters again. 22d, marched to Bloomfield, via Snickersville, and encamped, the cavalry destroying what forage could be found. 23d, marched from Bloomfield, via Upperville and Middleburg, to Goose Creek, sending the cavalry to destroy what could be found. I was skirmishing all day with the enemy who, by this time, had congregated some 500 men. He had some few casualties. At this point met Colonel Gamble with command, Eighth Illinois Cavalry and section artillery, in pursuit of Mosby; marched thence to Purcellville, via Philomont and Union; arrived at Harper's Ferry March 25. My return was hastened one day by the upsetting of a wagon in Goose Creek, in which were the short rations of Colonel Bird's command. I found a good deal of information about Mosby, and think he can be ousted, but it would take some time to effect it. Colonel Bird and his men behaved most handsomely. I inclose nominal statement of casualties in the command. Very respectfully, M. A. RENO, Colonel, Commanding Expedition. Brig. Gen. C. H. MORGAN, Chief of Staff.




Information from [Samuel P. Bates]
"History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-1865"]
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