“The enemy well knew the condition of our troops, being in possession of the route to our depot of supplies, and the one by which re-enforcements would reach our army. They apparently held our forces at their mercy. For these reasons the enemy deemed it unnecessary to assault and lose lives in an attempt to take what seemed secure. All that Biggs had to do, as he thought, was to wait, and Chatteraugus would fall into his hands without a struggle. Starvation would soon force terms, as retreat or re-enforcements were considered alike impossible. No other portion of our armies was reduced to such a terrible extremity during the war. “This was the situation of the Army of the Center when Gen. Silent took command of it. Biggs had sent his cavalry to the interior to watch all movements on our part, and especially to prevent supplies from being brought to or concentrated anywhere for our almost famished soldiers. Weller and Lawting, in command of the rebel cavalry, captured and destroyed in the Sewatch Valley 1,000 wagons loaded with supplies. They also captured 700 wagons at Macklinville, with about 1,000 prisoners, and at the same time destroyed millions of dollars of other property. “Gen. Silent had just arrived at Nashua, and, finding that the raiders were burning wagon trains and railroad trains loaded with supplies, collected all the cavalry he could, obtained horses and mounted two regiments of infantry. Under a skillful officer he started them in pursuit of Weller and Lawting, chasing them into Northern Alabama and capturing near one-half of their commands. Gen. Silent had no means of getting into Chatteraugus until Biggs's force at Bridgeton and on the river between there and Chatteraugus could be dislodged and driven out of Looking-Glass Valley, which ran down along the mountain side to the river. He had difficulty in getting all the positions correctly. “Finally he met Mrs. Houghton, who had come out from Chatteraugus prior to its investment. She gave him the most satisfactory detailed statement that he had received from any one as yet. In the interview she told him what she was doing in that country and where she had been; what she had said to General Rosenfelt the night before the battle of Murphy's Hill, and what she told him the day before the battle at Cherokee Run. The General questioned her as to the number of the enemy, the names of the commanders, etc. When she gave the names of Longpath and Stephenson, the General said: “'They are sending troops here from the rebel army East?' “'Yes, General,' she replied; '20,000, I am sure, and I so told Gen. Rosenfelt.' “The General said: 'They are using the Victor's Hill prisoners?' “'Yes,' said she; 'Gen. Stephenson is said to be in command of 20,000 of them.' “'But they have not been exchanged as yet?'