mile below the bridge against the first battalion of the New York Zouave Regiment, and I saw no more of the company until after the fight.

About - minutes after the fight, and after Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart had been compelled to fall back across the ravine and occupy my redoubt, Colonel Magruder ordered me to take my command about one and a quarter miles around to aid the Wythe Rifles, under the command of Lieutenant Chisman, in guarding a marsh, where he thought the enemy were attempting to turn our left flank. I immediately carried my command around to the point indicated at the double quick, joined the rifles, and deployed my whole command as skirmishers over a line of a quarter of a mile under cover of a dense foliage. We remained in this position until late in the evening, when we were ordered back by Colonel Magruder to the church. The enemy did not attempt to cross our line, and we remained quiet and inactive during the remainder of the fight.

We had no killed or wounded. Every man in my whole command, both officers and men, was perfectly cool, calm, and collected during the whole time which we were exposed to the enfilading fire from the enemy's battery and to diagonal fire of musketry from his left flank. I have no hesitancy in expressing my gratification at the manner in which my command, the Halifax Light Infantry, Captain Grammer; the Chatham Grays, Captain Werth; and the Old Dominion Rifles, Captain Dickerson, as well as the detachment of the North Carolina regiment, under my command, conducted themselves during the whole engagement.

Respectfully reported.

E. B. MONTAGUE,

Major, Commanding Virginia Battalion.

Colonel J. B. MAGRUDER, Commanding Division.

Numbers 12. Reports of Captain W. H. Werth, commanding Chatham Grays, Virginia Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS, Yorktown, June 12, 1861.

SIR: I beg leave very respectfully to make the following report of my scout:

On Sunday afternoon, the 9th of June, 1861, I procured the corn and oats on the Back River road as ordered, and had the wagons returning to camp in two hours and a quarter from the receipt of the order. I was then joined by one company of North Carolina Infantry, one piece of the howitzer battery, and a detachment of Captain Douthatt's cavalry, as I supposed, to assist me in making observations near Hampton, on the Back River. I approached New Market Bridge at 5 o'clock p.m., planted the howitzer so as to sweep the bridge, deployed my infantry in open order on my right flank in ambush, so that they could rake the road. The cavalry I posted in the rear, and threw out vedettes on each of my flanks to avoid a surprise.

In this position I waited for the appearance of the enemy. I of course had no idea of endangering my command by engaging the enemy if in force. I was too weak. In a few moments alarm guns were fired by a chain of sentinels extending from New Market Bridge to Fort Monroe. In a few moments a force advanced from Hampton (supposed to be a battalion of infantry, but marching in detached companies), whilst at