other guard save that of the camp which was very strong, no doubt for the purpose of keeping their own troops from desertion. We fell back some one-fourth of a mile from their lines for the purpose of making some arrangement to send back Gen. Taylor information. Lieut. Alston was sent back with all the men save one, W. I. Phillipps, who volunteered to stay with me and take a daylight view of the enemy. This was thought by all the party to be extremely hazardous at the time, owing to the country being destitute of any timber sufficiently tall to conceal the movements of man on horse-back. That with the fact of the road being confined to a certain channel by the mountains rendered it indeed a risky affair. Alston left about midnight with orders to report as soon as possible to Gen. Taylor to the following effect that the enemy was in force at Incarnassion probably 20,000 strong as had been represented by rumor and was evidently making preparation for a speedy march, as the soldiers were up until that late hour cooking, etc., and that myself and Phillipps would come in the morning after we had ascertained as much as we could in relation to the relative strength of the enemy's army in artillery, cavalry, etc.

After the others had left, we made quite a close examination of the enemy's camp, it appeared to be about a mile long and one-fourth mile wide. We were nigh enough to see the fellows playing cards by their fires, no doubt betting off their interest in the spoils of the American Army. If one was allowed to judge of their opinions of success by their hilarity, then were they certain of success, as a more jolly set of singers was never listened to by anyone. After examining as closely as possible the size of the encampment, we fell back between the roads to a hill one mile distant from the camp where we could have an excellent view of them in the morning. However, as we had seen the picket on one road we safely concluded there might be one on the other also, so concluded to move our