g to risk an advance against the other. For several months this
situation continued. The only operations that marked this long period of
inaction on the part of the two armies were a series of small exploits
which were calculated to cause the two armies to degenerate into small
bands, that could only be employed in harassing their enemies. The
rebels got ready, however, and made the first attempt. Gen. Weller, with
a brigade of cavalry, pushed his way up within a few miles of Nashua,
burned a railroad bridge, then descended on the right bank of the
Le-Harp River to the banks of Combination River, and there seized
several of our transports, which were loaded with supplies. He burned
these with all their cargoes. One of our gunboats reached the scene of
action just in time to also become a prey to the flames.

"This act on the part of the rebel cavalrymen in its audacity seems to
have completely paralyzed our mounted troops, and Weller was permitted
to return entirely unmolested. In a very short time, elated by his
success, he concentrated a force of some 3,000 men under Gens. Forrester
and Lawting, with two batteries, within twenty miles of Nashua. Gen.
Rosenfelt, seeing that the rebels were riding all around and about him
with impunity, sent Gen. Davies with one division of infantry, and two
brigades of cavalry commanded by Gen. Minting, in order to hem Weller in
and 'bag him' and take him into camp, as the soldiers would say. Davies
marched from Murphy's Hill to Eagle Cove; Sleeman marched from Nashua
with a division of infantry, upon Tyrone; Minting moved away to the
south by way of Franktown, where the forces were all to close in like
pulling the drawstring of a bag and closing it over your game. But when
opened there was no Weller inside. The next heard of him he had pushed
on far to the northwest, and while our forces were closing in at
Franktown, Weller had again reached the borders of Combination River at
Mariam's Crossing, and appeared before Dolinsburg on the next day. You
remember the great battle fought at Dolinsburg, where Gen. Tom. Anderson
was thought to have been killed, but was found by me in the darky's
cabin?" They answered: "Yes; that could not be forgotten." "Well,
gentlemen, this place was still commanded by good old Col. Harden. He
had but 700 men all told. The place was encircled by parapets commanding
the ravines north and south. In the center the Colonel had constructed
large earthworks, and moun